


Underneath it All

by Giada Luna (GiadaLuna)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, NejiTen - Freeform, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-05-20 02:09:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 54,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5988493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiadaLuna/pseuds/Giada%20Luna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just because Neji and Tenten don't challenge each other to do 1000 push-ups during commercial breaks doesn't mean they aren't as competitive as the other half of Team Gai. They have a habit of making crazy bets and this one might have gotten out of hand… 4 years after #699, Neji alive. Fun, light story. NejiTen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It didn't matter how it had started – it never mattered how it started – it mattered how it ended. She wasn't quite sure when their conversation had taken such a ridiculous turn but she suspected it was sometime after he realized he had lost the last two bets to her.

They almost never bet money. It was an unspoken rule, because they both knew what it was like to go without. Even though Neji had the resources of his clan and the approval of the Head Family, he never touched them in non-clan related matters. Tenten simply had what she had earned and worked for, and that had been carefully reinvested into weaponry, scrolls, and a tidy little business she had growing in Konoha.

Besides, betting with money was boring.

If there was one thing that could be said for the members of Team Gai, it was that they were inventive with the challenges they'd undertake. They never went to the extremes of Gai and Lee – (Tenten wasn't walking anywhere on her hands, and Neji would not be carried on anyone's back) but they had their own eccentricities and were fiercely competitive.

Once they bet a week of first bathroom privileges, meaning the loser probably had only cold water left.

Once whoever lost had to accept any challenge that Lee offered, no matter how ridiculous, for the next three missions.

Once it had been that the loser had to pay for Naruto's ramen on a joint mission. They drew the line at paying for Chōji.

But this time?

This time it was personal.

"You aren't serious," Tenten said flatly, raking a skeptical look up and down her teammate.

"Perfectly," he said in that haughty-calm the Hyūgas seemed to learn from birth.

"You realize this is ridiculous, right?" she eyed him closely, trying to gauge his expression.

His shrug was minimal. "No more or less ridiculous than any of our other wagers."

"I'm thinking this is way more ridiculous than any wager we've ever made," she crosses her arms. "Who in their right mind bets with their underwear? There are limits in life, Neji."

His expression didn't change, but one brow arched. "Are you backing down from the challenge?"

Tenten narrowed her eyes and her voice dropped dangerously. "Pardon?"

"I asked you," his smooth, dark voice was steady and pointed, "if you are backing down from the challenge."

Something inside of her boiled and snapped even as she suspected that this was a terrible, terrible idea.

"Of course not," she seethed, hands on hips. "But this is a stupid idea."

"But we agree?" he asked, nonplussed.

"Fine," she said through clenched teeth. "On one condition. Before we start, we place 5 garments that are off limits."

Neji arched an eyebrow. "Conditions, Tenten?" he scoffed reprovingly. What happened to your 'all or nothing?' attitude?"

"Two things," she crossed her arms, "and they are both under bindings right now. Unless you can use your genius powers to figure out a way for me to either give up training or working or running - which I will have to do if I don't have support – then those are the terms."

Neji had the good grace to flush slightly, even if he thought her to be exaggerating. "Still sounds like a cop out. Are you that certain you will lose?"

"Of course not," she muttered, "but I'm not dumb enough to take a blanket bet."

"Well then I propose another condition," Neji said coolly. "All undergarments are to be sealed into a scroll, and we can only utilize the five items we exempt from the bet. Winner gets their garments back. The looser does not, and may not purchase any replacement garments for one month."

A wicked smirk curved her lips. "Agreed."

"One more thing," Neji added. "This bet includes all garments that can be considered 'underwear,' correct?"

Tenten frowned. "Well, yeah," she said, "that's the point."

"Whether garments are worn regularly or not?" he pressed.

"Sure."

"Good," Neji spread his hands elegantly. "I look forward to seeing those garments that Ino is always lamenting she has bought you and you never wear."

Tenten froze. "Pardon?"

"Tell you what – I'll even be generous. Since you require a variety of garments," he flicked his gaze to her chest and back up, "We'll up the number to seven. You choose how to split up your supplies. We also won't count any binding materials, since we both utilize those for various reasons. Those can be purchased, used, and replaced as needed."

Tenten didn't know whether to glare at him or to be suspicious. Neji was not one for granting too much leeway in a bet, unless he was accounting for something Lee absolutely could not do but would never admit to it. (They NEVER bet with alcohol.)

"That is strangely generous of you," she said guardedly.

He shrugged. "Makes it more interesting. On a practical note, we have had extended missions lately, and it is possible we won't be able to launder anything for days at a time. So. Are we agreed?"

"Alright," Tenten stuck out her hand. "Agreed."

"Excellent," Neji said shaking her hand perfunctorily. He checked the time. "No time like the present. You have sealing scrolls I trust? Of course you do. Let's get this done."

Tenten handed him an empty scroll with a guarded expression. "Here."

"Thank you. Shall we?"

"Fine. Where will we meet up?"

"We can discuss that as we work," he tucked the scroll away.

"While we-?!" She looked up at him quizzically. He raised his eyebrows in that infuriating 'I'm waiting for you to figure it out' sort of way, and her own eyes grew wide. "Ohhhhh no. No, no, no." She shook her head vehemently. "I've had a long day, and I am going home to my apartment and I am going to enjoy it and my fully stocked supply of underwear in peace. Go seal your own things; I'll handle mine. I've got plenty of practice."

"Ah," Neji said, "I know you have plenty of experience. Experience enough to create a seal with exceptions. Therefore we shall work together and bind the scrolls with a seal that requires us both to open it."

"Then come over tomorrow," she rolled her eyes.

Neji shook his head. "That gives us both window of time whereinwhich we can alter the contents. We shall both go now and ensure this is done properly."

"Don't trust me?" Tenten asked in a calm tone laced with venom.

"I believe you indicated you are not foolish enough to accept a blanket bet? I am just trying to ensure the integrity of our wager."

There were few things that irked her more than Neji when he got in moods like this, and she knew from experience this fight was over before it started.

"Fine," she bit out. "Let's go."

Neji watched her stalk back toward the village, catching up with her easily. "I find I am actually looking forward to this wager," he offered, ignoring Tenten's glower. "It is far more interesting than our normal bets, wouldn't you agree?"

Tenten didn't answer. She pressed her lips together, more determined than ever to win their bet- while Neji mentally patted himself on the back for having already won.

 


	2. Chapter Two

**_Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...***_ **

* * *

 

Per the terms of their bet, Neji and Tenten stored the bulk of their undergarments into separate scrolls, which were then secured with a seal that required the two of them to open it. They then switched scrolls, and set about their daily lives rationed to her seven and his five undergarments for the duration of their bet (and the loser for a month beyond that). For Tenten, handing over her entire cache of underwear felt like leaving for a mission with only one weapons scroll – she felt massively underprepared for life in general.

It had taken her ages to decide how best to divide her seven garments between bra and underwear. Could she survive with only one bra? She could just wear bindings in a pinch, but it just was not comfortable over long periods of time. No. Having only one of anything was a blatantly open invitation for disaster, and she had an appreciation for redundant systems. So two bras definitely. Was three better? Three meant only four pairs of underwear and that made her downright nervous. Better to go with the 5:2 ratio, and make a point to win the bet. So far, she couldn't really complain. As long as they were in the village with access to laundry, the limitation on her undergarment selection was barely even an inconvenience.

The days were busy, even if they were uneventful. She still trained, worked on weaponry, and kept her meetings with several different funinjutsu experts to keep working on different weapons sealing techniques. Today, she was sitting at the counter of her shop with Sai. They were comparing two completed scrolls and working on a third. She was so engrossed in their work that she didn't hear the bell over the door, and didn't look up until the familiar silhouette fell over the parchment.

"Need something?" she asked, not taking her eyes from her work.

"Is that how you usually greet your customers?"

"You aren't a customer, Neji," she said, looking over at Sai's scroll. "Looks good."

"I think that is the last of the transcription," he said.

"Good," she nodded. "Try rearranging to the second array."

Sai ran through a few quick hand seals and the ink lettering was released to swarm about the page and slid into a different configuration. Tenten peered over his shoulder. "You'll need to make sure these characters don't get switched," she pointed to the scroll, "or the seal will be unstable."

"Shall we test this here?" he asked.

"Not if you don't want to risk blowing up the neighborhood," she stood and stretched. "Let's lock up and head over to the detonation area, just in case."

She looked up to find her teammate eyeing her work with mild interest. "What did you need?" she asked, packing up her supplies.

"I came to purchase more oil, and other supplies for maintaining my weapons."

"Didn't I just re-stock the team?" she asked, confused.

"I've been busy," he shrugged.

"Well then, if you are a customer," her impish smile was bright, "I'm much happier to see you." She grabbed a few things from under the counter and put them in a bag before handing it to him. When he reached for where she knew he kept his money, she waved him away. "Settle up with me later," she said, gathering her own supplies. "I want to get this testing done before our next mission, and Sai and I are on a schedule today. Ready?" She asked Sai.

Sai nodded and moved quickly around the counter to get out of her way. She set her traps by the register and rare merchandise, and shooed them out of the door so she could lock up. Neji followed, keeping stride with them. Tenten knew her teammate well enough to know that he had something to day. She glanced up, gauging the sun's position, and decided she had a little time.

"Sai, let's split up. I'll pick up what we need from the market and meet you at the training ground. You go ahead and make sure our traps and barriers from last time are intact and ready to be activated. I don't want anyone to accidentally stumble into our maybe-blast-zone."

"Don't be long," Sai said. "We still have to report in to Kakashi-senpai."

"I won't" she promised, and Sai left with little more than a nod. She gave a small exhale of relief. He was still trying to find a nickname for her, and it was a painful, painful process. She turned to her teammate, and paused with a small frown. "Are you alright? You seem to be walking a little funny."

Neji scowled at her darkly. "I am not."

"You are," she repeated, looking him up and down. "Did you hurt your leg? Pull a groin muscle?"

What really happened is that somehow the clanswoman that had done his laundry managed to shrink his underwear. He hadn't realized what had happened until it was too late, and he was left with two pairs of underwear that were comfortable (and now in the wash) and three that were decidedly less than comfortable.

"Rough spar," was all he would say.

"What do you need?" she asked walking toward the nearby market, "Because I really do have to get to work on this project."

"We're one-and-one, you know," he said, watching her from the corner of his eye.

"Well what would you expect?" she asked wryly. "Not sure why we bothered with the first two parts of this challenge; I knew I wouldn't beat you at taijutsu, and you knew you wouldn't beat me at marksmanship. By the way, how is your jaw?"

"Fine, after being healed from a cheap shot," he narrowed his eyes.

"All's fair, Neji," she grinned. "And I lied. I know why we bothered with the first two - we each wanted to kick the other's ass at something."

Neji's mouth curved into a knowing smirk. "You're probably right."

"So we're one-and-one. What about it?"

"Did we agree on the last challenge?"

Tenten frowned. "Was there a point when we disagreed on it?"

Neji's shrug was elegant. "I wasn't sure that we had ironed out the details."

Tenten stopped at the small vendor stand where an old man handed her a bulging bag of supplies he'd obviously prepared for her. She thanked him as she handed over payment, and waved as she turned to head toward the training ground.

"As much as I'd love to stand around and discuss the finer points of how you are going to lose this bet," she shifted the bag on her hip, "Sai was right. We really have to finish up and report in to Kakashi."

"We'll talk about it over dinner. Consider it a farewell meal for your winning streak."

"I'll consider it as payment for three bets ago," she smirked. "Same time?"

"I'll be by," he said idly.

"I'll be ready," she returned.

They parted ways, and Tenten took to the rooftops to catch up to Sai.

Neji decided to take a less vigorous means of travel, as he was already uncomfortable with minimal movement. He headed home with a renewed determination to win this last leg of their three-tiered bet and to do it with all possible haste.

 


	3. Chapter Three

  **Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

 

Two weeks ago, everything was going Tenten's way. She returned from a relatively easy mission. She got paid for a particularly lucrative mission. She had at least several days before her next mission. She had a whole selection of clean, varied underwear, waiting for her in her cozy little apartment.

Then she just had to take up that stupid bet with Neji.

He got to the assignment deck seconds before her, and stopped just short of the door. "Good morning," he said smoothly. "Lovely day, isn't it?

"Don't start with me, Hyūga," she grumbled. "I haven't had enough coffee to guarantee your safety."

"Something wrong?" he asked innocently.

Too innocently.

She glared at him. "Nothing. Everything's just peachy," she narrowed her eyes at hi.

"Good to know," he said, opening the door for her. She gave him one last glare before adopting a neutral expression and joining the other half of their team. Now, she was twirling a senbon through her fingers while they waited for Kakashi to finish with the team ahead of them. They didn't have to wait long. It was one of the Genin teams reporting in with their Jōnin leader, and their mission was a simple D-class one to help them cut their teeth on shinobi work. Soon enough, it was just Team Gai facing Kakashi, Shizune, and Shikamaru.

"Kakashi, my eternal rival!" Gai boomed from his wheelchair. "What youthful mission do you have for us?!"

"We are just waiting for one more…" There was a knock on the door, and Sakura and two other masked ANBU entered. "Ah, Sakura," he beamed at his former student. "Right on time."

"Lord Sixth," she said with a playful smile. "I'd've come sooner, but I was in surgery." She and the ANBU joined Team Gai and stood at attention. Kakashi gave a nod of approval and continued.

"We have had a request from the Land of Rivers. As you know, they have been slow to rebuild since the war, and the last four years have been particularly hard for them. There have been great efforts to stabilize the area, and they have requested our help, or perhaps it is more accurate to say they requested Sakura's help," he folded his hands. "Sakura is heading up a mission to help supply, assess, and organize a remote hospital in the Land of Rivers. Based on their current known needs, and the recommendations of Tsunade-sama, Shizune, and Sakura, a medical convoy has been assembled. However, there are those benefiting from the instability of the area that will try to disrupt these efforts. Team Gai will escort the convoy. Gai. Lee." He looked at them each in turn. "Once the convoy reaches the hospital, your job will be to pose as a patient and family member. You will keep an eye on the other patients and look for anyone trying to infiltrate the staff. Shizune will brief you in the next room."

"Understood," Gai said, shifting in his chair. "What malady will we say that Lee has, though? He is the picture of health!"

Everyone stared at the man as he rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. Kakashi hid a smile and shook his head. It just went to show Gai did not consider himself to be at any kind of disadvantage, wheelchair or not.

"We'll discuss it," Shizune said kindly, and led them all out.

Kakashi shifted his gaze to Neji and Tenten as Shikamaru handed them a series of scrolls. "The two of you will accompany the caravan to the village with your team. Unfortunately, after that, I need to split your team. I need the two of you to do several smaller assignments scattered to the north and north east. Some of them are infiltration – some are simply observational. There is a good chance that more work will come while you are in the field; you need to be prepared to travel for at least a month."

"Why two?" Tenten asked, curious. "Usually we work in teams of at least a three."

"The fewer the better," Shikamaru sighed. "There are some missions that require a male or female operative, and we needed as few people as possible to take on as many different assignments as possible while moving quickly between those assignments. Besides," his lip pulled into a lazy hint of smile, "sending the two of you is almost like sending three. Maybe four."

"When do we leave?" Neji asked.

"The medical caravan will leave tomorrow morning. The two of you will serve as the advanced guard and scout ahead; Neji using his Byakugan, and Tenten providing support."

Neji and Tenten nodded and took the assignment. Shikamaru handed them an extra scroll apiece. "It's a good thing we're sending you," he said to Tenten. "Supply outposts will be few and far between, but it is necessary to travel light. Those scrolls of yours will come in handy."

"Travelling light is our specialty," Neji said coolly before turning to Tenten, "Isn't it?"

She kept her face impassive, but Neji did not miss the spark of annoyance in her features. "Hai."

They were dismissed, and Tenten strode down the hall, moving more and more quickly.

"You should thank me, you know," Neji said over her shoulder, easily keeping pace with her.

"How do you figure?" she grumbled.

"Well, we certainly know you won't be over-packing certain items."

"I like to be well-supplied," she said defensively, ticking items off on her fingers. "Extra weapons, extra med-kits, extra antidotes, extra underwear and extra earplugs. And I seal everything in scrolls; it doesn't count as over-packing. You and Lee would have been seriously out of luck countless time if it wasn't for me and my 'over-packing,'" she air-quoted in annoyance.

"And I saved you from having as much to carry this time this time around," he shrugged. "I'll even help; I'll keep your scroll on me, so that you don't have to worry about it being lost or damaged."

Tenten's mouth dropped open. "You're not just going to leave it here?" she asked, flabbergasted.

Neji shook his head solemnly. "And risk something happening to an important item you entrusted into my care? Never."

Tenten's cheeks flamed pink. "If I wasn't so damned sure you couldn't get past my seals without me, I'd swear you were a pervert."

Neji shook his head again. "Nothing of the sort. You're just a sore loser." When she flushed and got ready to retaliate, he added, "The mission is slated to run longer than the month of the bet. Surely you won't want a delay in returning your items, since from the sound of things you will most likely be unable to replace them." He watched her process this information, begrudgingly. "So if you think about it," he spread his hands, "I'm being most generous."

"You're too kind," Tenten muttered.

"I know," he admitted. "It's a weakness of mine."

Tenten swallowed her retort. "I'm going to go pack," she turned on her heel, and marched back toward her apartment.

"I suspect I'm going to pay for that," Neji mused quietly and to no one in particular as he watched his teammate storm away with righteous indignation. He'd give her space – they both knew he was taunting her, and while her access to her underwear was limited, she could get to her weaponry just fine. "Best not to provoke her," he murmured with a slow smile and a glint in his eye. "At least not yet."

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

 

The caravan left at first light, and, given the supplies they were carrying, moved at a healthy pace. Sakura said that some of the equipment and supplies didn't seal well (something Tenten didn't believe of anything, but then again, she had a ship and an impossibly long ladder in her scrolls) and had to be carted the old-fashioned way. Still, their progress at the end of four days (and five days into their bet) was better than expected.

"We are a giant moving target," Tenten muttered as she leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes.

"I wonder if that is the point," Neji mused.

She looked up at him, standing on a high branch and surveying the valley. Tenten was a few branches below, far more alert than her posture showed. "Anything?"

He paused and focused on something due east.

"Nothing," he finally said. "Let's move on."

Tenten undid several traps and they continued on their way.

That night they joined around the camp, and Tenten and Lee made sure that Gai had everything he needed. Tenten wasn't nearly as agitated now that she was on a mission. No one got under her skin faster than her team, but she rarely stayed mad at them for long. Neji was right – she was just being a sore loser. A bet was a bet, right? She'd just have to suck it up. Tenten decided it made sense to do a quick bit of laundry, since she didn't know when the next opportunity would be, and she was working with limited resources. She had just resealed a batch of clothes when the commotion started.

"Trouble back at camp," Neji said, jumping down, his Byakugan piercing the night. "Thieves – they were dealt with quickly, but more are coming."

Tenten tossed him a few extra kunai, and got a scroll ready.

"Lee is staying with Gai," Neji put the weapons into the pouch at his hip. "He and Sakura will guard the supplies with the ANBU."

"So it's just us?" she asked in surprise.

"Not quite," Neji smirked.

There was no time to elaborate. At least fifteen attackers came swarming out of the woods. The two of them were easily a match for the rag-tag band of shinobi, it was just the numbers that were tricky. Tenten launched a hail of kunai with exploding tags, separating the group and keeping them busy while she and Neji systematically divided and conquered.

Tenten turned just in time to see one of the thieves come barreling from the direction of the camp, running for all he was worth. She couldn't tell what he had, but she was sure it was something he had stolen. She dropped quickly and swept his leg, just having time to catch what he dropped before she redirected his fall into the small stream with a satisfying splash.

He jumped up, and scrambled hastily in the shallow water, looking over his shoulder frantically as if the very devil was following.

"Katon!"

Flames surged after the man with such intensity that in seconds his clothes dried enough to singe his pants and hair. He howled in fear and charged back into the night, calling whatever stragglers that remained into a retreat.

Tenten turned around to see the shadowy figure of Uchiha Sasuke watching impassively as the man ran away.

An ANBU landed next to her, and she handed over the equipment wordlessly.

"We tagged him with the bugs Aburame left us." The masked man said to Sasuke. "We should know where their main hideout is by morning."

Sasuke said little more than 'Hn,' and the ANBU disappeared.

Tenten felt rather than saw Neji approach behind her.

Neji arched an eyebrow at Sasuke. "This explains why Kakashi wasn't worried about assigning a heavier guard."

Sasuke glanced over to Neji and offered a cool "Hyūga."

"You got my message, I take it?" Neji asked.

"Hn."

Tenten looked between them. "What message?"

"The caravan has three more days to travel," Neji continued. "I'll keep a ten kilometer radius watch, and occasionally check as far out as twenty-five kilometers. If I see anything suspicious, I'll send another clone."

Sasuke nodded, turned, and walked away. Tenten looked between Sauske and Neji, and back again, before muttering something about 'stupid silent prodigies,' and putting her scrolls away. With a sigh, she went back to gather up the things she'd abandoned when the trouble started. Neji found her, hands on hips, looking around in confusion.

"Something wrong?"

"I am missing some things," she frowned, looking up and down the bank of the creek. The wind shifted and a still-glowing fragment of charred cloth floated past her to land in the water with a hiss.

Tenten dug a scroll out, and examined it with a heavy sigh. "You don't see any of our supplies around here, do you?" she asked Neji. He scouted the immediate vicinity with his Byakugan and shook his head

"Nothing I can find."

"That is what I was afraid of," she grimaced.

"What happened?" Neji asked, bemused.

"Uchiha didn't just katon the ass off of that thief," she said, wryly. "He had incinerated half of my laundry."

The significance of this was not lost on Neji. "And?"

"He torched two of my shirts and a pair of pants, but I only lost one pair of underwear."

"Well…" Neji started, debating on what to say. "I am sure that is a relief."

"You have no idea," Tenten muttered. "Let's get back to camp. The sooner we get this leg of the trip over, the better."

The excitement of the evening wore off quickly, and in little to no time, traps were set around the supplies and camp, tents were up, and the travelers were preparing for bed. Tenten was standing outside of the tent she was sharing with Sakura when Lee waved her over. She joined him, Neji, and the two ANBU. She recognized Uzuki Yūgao, but was surprised that Sai was now a part of the group. She looked around and spotted the other ANBU high in a tree and already on patrol.

"Tenten!" Lee beamed at her. "I hear you recovered the stolen piece of equipment – well done!"

"Thanks, Lee," she smiled at her teammate before turning to the rest of them. "So what's up?"

"We are just dividing the watch," Yūgao replied. "Since they use less chakra than shadow or regular clones, Sai has ink clones stationed around the camp."

"I'll take first watch," Neji offered. "I assume you know about at least one of the groups following the caravan?"

Lee looked startled, but Yūgao just nodded. "Didn't take you long, did it?" she asked. "There is a cell of thieves and missing nin that have been getting more organized in this area. Kakashi suspected that the caravan would be targeted, and assigned a secondary cell of ANBU to provide support. Sai is the captain of that unit."

"Will your unit track the thieves?" Lee asked.

"No," Sai shook his head. "We will remain with the caravan. There is another unit that will mobilize to take down the thieves at the source, should we manage to pinpoint their location."

Neji and Tenten exchanged glances. They suspected that "unit" in this case meant Sasuke.

"I'll take second watch," Tenten offered. Within moments the work was divided, and Neji was alone watching over the sleeping camp. Well. Alone if you didn't count the ANBU he'd spotted with his Byakugan, the ink clones left by Sai, and what he suspected was Uchiha's shadow clone five kilometers due west.

In three days, the caravan would be at the hospital, and he and Tenten would be on their own. He had studied the maps; they were going to be in some very isolated and remote locations for the majority of their missions. He hoped for her sake the first month passed quickly and without incident. If she had more mishaps like tonight, she'd be in a bind. Of course, they could just unseal more of her garments – it wasn't that big of a deal. Still, he couldn't let her off of the hook that easily – not after spending two weeks in genuine discomfort.

It hit him like a bolt of lightning. There were very few places to procure supplies on this mission. If she lost enough of her supplies, she'd HAVE to unseal them from the scroll he had tucked away. If it happened before the end of their bet, then there could be conditions placed on the selection of those garments.

A calculating smile slid across his face as he formulated his plans. "One down."


	5. Chapter 5

**Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

The rest of the caravan escort mission was uneventful. Sasuke didn't make himself known to the group, and neither Tenten nor Neji mentioned him. Tenten did catch Sakura looking around suspiciously now and then, but neither kunoichi brought up anything, so nothing was ever said on the matter. Once Gai was checked in as a patient, the ANBU were in place, and Sakura was satisfied with the transference of the supplies, the two of them got on the road.

That was two weeks ago.

Shikamaru had been right about one thing – they worked quickly and efficiently as a team, and were an ideal pair for these kinds of assignments. They traveled quickly, and could make or break camp with minimal effort, leaving no trace behind. Neither got lost easily, they could split their tasks efficiently, and they trusted each other enough and were comfortable enough that the journey remained pleasant.

They were well over half-way to their next mission in when rough seas forced them to turn back and dock at the nearest port. The storm was fierce and projected to last for a few days, making travel by sea impossible. The captain refunded their fare with a heartfelt apology, as the storm also made it unsafe to stay aboard the ship, even if it was docked in the small harbor. Luckily, the series of inlets they needed to cross to get to the nearest village were calm. The storm had moored more than a few people, and they had to take a ferry to reach the nearest inn with a vacancy.

"I can't believe it," Tenten groaned, as she slid down the door to their room, defeated. "What is with my luck on this mission?" she asked incredulously. "First the storm means the inn is full, so we have to share a room - not such a big deal, we've done it before. But then, the kid ferrying us across the island drops my pack into the water, and THEN makes it up to me by carrying it up for me and setting it on the futon soaking wet." Tenten looked at the space where the futon had been. "It won't be dry until tomorrow, and there are no extra because - again – full inn. And all of my clothes have to be washed again because they are soaked and somehow smell like swamp."

"Don't you keep your things in scrolls?" Neji arched a slim brow.

"Of course I do," she closed her eyes and rested the back of her head against the door. "But when was the last time we had a chance to stop and do laundry? I swear I sealed up that last load; I don't know why it was loose in my bag. And it isn't like I have extra undergarments to toss around." She sighed.

"The innkeeper promised to have it all washed for you to make up for her grandson's mistake," Neji offered. "You should be fully stocked by tomorrow morning.

"I know," she blew out a sigh. "I'm just being a brat." She stood and stretched and sorted out a couple of scrolls. "At least I have one clean pair of underwear left," she mumbled.

"You could take mine," he offered.

She stared at him blankly.

"My futon," he clarified, pointing to the bedding.

"It's fine," she sighed. "I have another one sealed here."

"Of course you do," Neji smirked.

"You care if I get washed up first?" she asked. "I am calling it quits for today."

"Fine with me," he shrugged. "I'll see about getting us some tea."

"That would be great," she sighed happily. She gathered her things, and headed into the next room, calling "Thanks, Neji," over her shoulder.

It took no time at all to sort out someone to bring tea and a meal up. The inn was old-fashioned, but clean and – despite the storm and many guests – quiet. He eyed the old style of bedding on the floor, vaguely hoping the next place they went had beds for a change. It was getting colder the farther north they travelled, and it would be a welcome and warmer luxury.

He heard the water snap off, and he mentally counted to 65. The water went back on, and he smiled to himself. Tenten, like many orphans, had grown up with limited funds and resources. She still had the habit of shutting off the water after she had gotten her body and hair wet and while she lathered or shampooed.

There was a knock at the door, and Neji made sure the curtain to the small dressing area outside of the bathroom was pulled closed before answering it. The innkeeper and a young girl stood on the otherside of the door carrying a tray of food and a pot of tea.

"The hot tea and dinner is on the house," the old woman said kindly. "I am so sorry about what happened," she continued as Neji took the tray and put it down in the room. "I sent up a basket with your wife. If you give me you and your wife's laundry, I'll be happy to wash it up and get it to you by the morning."

Neji didn't bother to correct her, both because it was a common assumption made when shinobi traveled in mixed pairs, and it was normally part of their cover.

The woman glanced to the curtain, and could hear the running water from behind the closed bathroom door. "We'll step outside," she said, ushering the little girl out of the room and closing the door behind her."

Not one to turn down an opportunity, Neji quickly gathered his own laundry. He saw the wet clothes in the basket, and added his as well as the rest of her laundry.

He knocked on the door.

"Tenten?" he called out. "They are here for the laundry."

"In the dressing room," she replied.

"Is there anything else?"

The water snapped off. "Yeah – hold on a second." He heard her pad out of the shower, and presumed she was gathering her clothes from that day.

She cracked the door open, and he held the basket toward her, both looking away and consciously avoiding using his Byakugan. The door closed, and he heard "Thanks, Neji!" before the water started again.

Neji handed the woman the basket and she bobbed her head politely.

"If there is anything else, please let us know," she worried her lip. "At least it is alright that you share the futon," she said with something like relief.

It took Neji a split second to remember that a) Tenten's original futon was out of commission, b) the woman assumed that as they were married it didn't matter. He knew she already felt badly about the situation, and since he and Tenten had worked out a solution, he didn't correct her.

"We shall. Thank you."

Neji sat down to his tea, still mentally counting from when Tenten had restarted her shower. Three minutes and twenty four seconds later, the water snapped off for the final time. He could hear the scrape of the shower curtain rings indicating she was stepping out from the tub.

He could hear her humming to herself, and he couldn't help his small smile. All things considered, she was taking this rather dismal day in stride. A minute or two later, he heard her open the door to the dressing area with the sinks.

He was startled, then, by her muffled cry of frustration.

"You have got to be kidding me."

The curtain between the room and the dressing area parted, and Tenten stepped out, wrapped in a towel, her hair wound up into a single, sloppy knot at the back of her head.

"Neji," she asked, clearly trying to keep fatigue and irritation out of her tone. "What happened to my clothes?"

Neji frowned. "The laundry? I handed it over to be washed."

Tenten bit the inside of her cheek. "Not that – the clothes that were folded in the corner."

Neji looked up at her in confusion, and then with sheepish dawning realization. "I handed them over to be washed." He repeated. "You normally fold your dirty laundry…" he trailed off, a tinge of color on his cheeks. He swallowed hard.

Tenten jammed the heels of her hands into her eyes and rubbed. She took a big breath and blew out a sigh that turned into a half laugh. "It looks like my luck continues," she said wryly. "At least I had the good sense to keep my underwear sealed until the last minute. It is amazing how protective you became of something so mundane when it is in such a critically low supply."

"Can you unseal anything else?" he asked.

"I have another scroll of clothes," she allowed, "but it got wet. Unsealing a scroll when it is in that condition isn't a good idea unless it is absolutely necessary. I might have some of my training gear," she mused.

A grin slid over Neji's features.

"Green is a nice color."

"No," she said flatly. "I'll sleep naked before I put that on."

She turned to check her supplies, while Neji pushed down the strange and unexpected blush he had felt beginning to pool in his cheeks.

She came back out, arms crossed as she leaned in the doorway.

"So, I have a pair of shorts I train in that can work," she said. "Any chance you have a spare shirt?"

"I might," Neji said, reaching for his own pack. "I'm surprised you don't have any from training."

"I do," she admitted, "but they aren't warm enough to sleep in. Besides, with my luck, I'd better keep any clothes I can clean and dry, or I'll be running around in a green leotard."

"Maybe I don't have a shirt," he mumbled, trying to hide a smile.

"I will hide all of your clothes and seal them where you will never find them and make you wear a green suit, too," she promised. "If I'm going down, you're coming with me."

Neji gave an honest laugh at that and tossed her a shirt. "Take it easy, dear Lotus," he smirked.

"Don't make me kick your youthful ass all the way back to Konoha," she warned, disappearing around the corner.

In about a minute, she stepped out in her small black athletic shorts and his too-big-for-her t-shirt, toweling off her hair. Neji did a good job of not staring at her long, lean, muscled legs, or the way his shirt hung on her…

"I'd better shower," he stood abruptly, gathering his things.

"Alright," Tenten yawned. "I'll wait for you to eat," she said as she poured herself a cup of tea.

Neji didn't take long, and was soon padding back out with the towel around his neck.

Tenten took in his soft pants and bare chest. "Out of shirts?"

"Left it on the chair," he said before shrugging on his shirt, and putting the towel across his shoulders to keep his hair from soaking the back of his shirt.

She poured him another cup of tea, and they tucked in to the simple but filling meal that had been provided. "How long do you think we will have to stay?" she asked.

"Two, three days at most," Neji frowned. "But we might be able to make some progress over-land and deal with another side mission first."

"Guess we'll have to see what tomorrow brings," she shrugged. "As long as it brings clean laundry, I'm good to go."

Neji agreed with a small smile, and she laughed.

The small girl came and collected their dishes.

"I'm calling it an early night," she yawned. She pulled out one of her scrolls and unsealed her futon. She bit back a small curse and took a deep, calming breath.

"What is it now?" Neji asked, genuinely curious as to how bad her luck could get.

"The floor," she sighed. "It is still wet. I'm going to have to shove over your way," she said apologetically.

Neji just shrugged. Tenten's futon butted up against his, and she winced. "Is this okay?" she asked. "There isn't much room."

"It's fine," Neji said dismissively. "As far as the innkeeper knows, we are sharing a bed anyway."

"Thinks I'm your wife?" Tenten asked, unsurprised.

"Ah," Neji nodded.

"Sorry about your luck," Tenten grinned, sliding into bed.

"Me, too," he replied, flicking off the lights. She heard him navigate the room with no problems, as expected of someone with the Byakugan. She heard him slide under his covers. For a moment they both laid quietly in the dark. Tenten turned on her side and faced Neji, sleepily.

"You didn't have to go to bed yet," she said apologetically.

"I'm tired, too," he shrugged. "After doing all of that laundry and all."

Tenten had to laugh. "Yeah, thanks for that," she grinned. "But really, thanks for the shirt," she yawned. "I appreciate it."

Neji watched a shiver pass over her. "Are you warm enough?"

"I'm always cold," she pulled her blanket tighter as her eyes drifted closed. "You know that."

Neji sighed and tossed his blanket over the both of them, and she burrowed under the blankets. "Thanks, Neji," she sighed. "You're a good husband." She smiled at his small snort of laughter.

Neji stared up at the ceiling, and allowed his eyes to drift closed. He could see her, clutching her towel closed with one hand and pinching the bridge of her nose with the other – an idiosyncrasy of his she had adopted over the years. He opened his eyes and it was gone. He sighed and closed his eyes again, only this time to have the image of her in his shirt rise unbidden to his mind's eye. The material was thin, and fell to the top of her thighs, and moved upward when she-

Neji's eyes shot open again and he stared at the ceiling. At what point had those images of her been seared into the insides of his eyelids? He immediately set about trying to distract himself with meditation, but he kept losing focus. He gave himself a small shake, demanding that he take control of his subconscious.

Tenten picked her head up sleepily. "Cold?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Neji said quietly. "Thank you."

"Here," she mumbled and leaned over to hold up an end of her covers. She pulled her blanket over his shoulders and chest, edging closer toward him. Neji froze as her fingers skimmed across his chest, and her warmth seeped into his skin. He could feel the brush of her leg as she adjusted her pillow. "Better?" she asked, sleepily.

"Ah," was all he could manage.

"Good," she smiled in her sleep, curling into her blankets. "Sweet dreams, Neji."

He turned on his side to look her over carefully. It was several moments and only after the reassuring sound of her slowed breathing that he found himself brushing a wayward tendril of hair from her cheek.

"Sweet dreams, Tenten," he said in a low voice.

And just like that the images retreated, and he was at peace. It was a while before he fell asleep, but he suspected it would be a great while longer before he tired of watching her sleep so serenely. He finally drifted off, mind still tracing the contours of her body in his clothes, as well as calculating other ways to ensure that this became their normal sleeping arrangement.


	6. Chapter 6

**Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

As luck would have it, the mission requiring Neji and Tenten to travel by sea had been reassigned.

"What else did Shikamaru say?" Tenten asked before popping a bite of omelet into her mouth.

Neji rubbed his forehead, brow creased. Because of the nature of their long-term assignment, Shikamaru had informed them that he would occasionally check in via Ino, and connect to one or both of them as needed. He had correctly calculated where they would be, and had informed them that there was already a team on the other side of the storm that was close enough to pick up the mission.

"He said that he would have sent a messenger hawk, but that when he received word of the storms in this area that he figured it would be too-"

"Troublesome?" Tenten asked, reaching for her tea.

"Ah," Neji smirked at her knowing smile. Shikamaru's trademark favorite word was a constant in their lives from genin to now, and almost reassuring in its own way.

"So, we are going to go ahead and head inland," she continued. "And our travel shouldn't be affected because the storm is largely over the water?"

Neji nodded again, and she sipped at her tea, thoughtfully. "We have several small missions we can finish along the route," she traced a finger on the map between them. Just as long as we make it to this village in twelve days, right?" She put a finger on the small dot.

"Ah," Neji affirmed. "Two weeks at the latest."

"Two weeks takes us to the end of the bet," Tenten smirked. "Perfect timing."

Neji arched an eyebrow. "Think you'll make it?"

Tenten flashed him a grin, and gave him a toned down version of Gai and Lee's 'Nice Guy' pose. "Yosh!"

The conversation was markedly different twelve days later.

They were about fifteen kilometers outside of their destination village when the messenger hawk appeared in the skies above them.

Tenten looked up and grinned. "Right on time." She was up a tree in less than a heartbeat, and the hawk landed on her extended arm. She brought them both down to a clearing, and tossed Neji the scroll while she placed the hawk on a low branch.

The wind swayed the tops of the trees, and Tenten looked up through the clearing to the graying skies, tightening her cloak around her shoulders. The hawk was still and curious as he let her stroke the top of his head. "We'll send you back right away," she promised in a soothing voice. "Looks like snow, and we don't want you trapped here." The hawk leaned into her touch, and she pet it fondly. "Good thing you weren't a day later. We're almost in the Land of Iron, and it's going to get much colder."

"We have orders. " Neji said, eyes shuttling rapidly up and down the rows of neatly printed characters. "New mission."

"What do we have to do?" she asked casually, not looking up from the bird.

"Not we," he corrected. "You."

Tenten looked over in mild surprise. "Me?"

"We have been afforded safe passage through the Land of Iron to get to our next assignment," he indicated some passage on the scroll. "Looks like we are heading to Mifune's citadel." He scanned the scroll one more time before handing it to her to read. She gave the hawk a final stroke before taking the scroll and skimming it.

"It looks like after this it's an infiltration mission," she read on. "Not many details, though," she mused. "Ne, Neji," she looked at the missive carefully. "There isn't a timeline on this. Why is it so open-ended?"

"I noticed that, too," he drew his brows together slightly. "We are to arrive at Mifune's stronghold in about a week – up to two if the weather delays our travel. Beyond that, there is no mention of how long we will be in the Land of Iron, or when we are expected to begin the infiltration mission."

"It doesn't even say where the next mission is," Tenten added. "It isn't like Kakashi or Shikamaru to be so vague when sending orders." She handed the scroll back to him. "Are we missing something?"

Neji looked the scroll over again before examining it with his Byakugan.

"Shikamaru says that Mifune will explain when we get there, and to stock up on supplies in this village; it is the last one with a larger market for at least five days travel."

Tenten drew her cloak around her more tightly, still. "We'd better get moving, then," she said. "I can feel the snow coming."

"Ah," Neji replied. Within ten minutes, the messenger was soaring back to Konoha with their mission report and response, and they were travelling through the trees to the village. They had been smart to hurry, as no sooner had they secured their supplies per the list Shikamaru included (and a few others that Tenten intuitively felt they needed) than the snow began to fall.

Well. Almost all of their supplies.

"You don't have a choice," Neji said with arms crossed, and that irritatingly smug tone in his voice.

"Exactly," Tenten threw her hands in the air. "These are extenuating circumstances, Hyūga," she narrowed her eyes, and he knew she was worked up when she called him by his last name in that tone of voice.

Neji shrugged. "You know as well as I do that you will need everything on this list to get through the journey through the Land of Iron."

"You are trying to get me to break a condition of the bet," she seethed. "Admit it."

"I didn't send the orders," he pointed to the scroll. "I suppose we could call it an exemption, if need be," he said loftily.

"You are playing dirty, Neji," she grit her teeth. "And you know perfectly well we didn't include these in the bet to begin with."

"As I recall," Neji pinned her with a knowing look, "We were to include all types of undergarments, were we not?"

"And I don't recall you providing anything like this to be sealed," she jabbed a finger at the scroll. "So not part of the bet!"

"If I had been on the losing end of the bet, I'd concede the mistake," he shrugged. "And at any rate, it would be a moot point. The type needed for this mission are specific, and we can't wait two days to buy them."

"Well then what do you suggest," Tenten grimaced.

"We follow our orders," he shrugged. "You will simply have to tack on some time to the bet."

"You aren't serious," she stared at him open mouthed. He did little more than raise an eyebrow. "You are serious?" she asked incredulously.

"You know I'm right," he said smoothly, and he could tell from the jumping muscle in her jaw, that as much as she hated it, she agreed with him.

"Fine," she bit out tersely. "How long."

"Mm," Neji rubbed his chin. "First, there is the purchasing of the garments, so that is one violation, and then a day for every day the garment is worn..." He did some calculations. "It would actually be kinder to just start the bet all over again."

"What?!" Tenten squeaked.

"Do the math," he shrugged. "We are projected to stay in the Land of Iron for an indefinite amount of time. If we become snow bound, you could end up owing me months. Might as well just reset the bet and call it a day. Unless, of course, you don't intend to honor the agreement."

"Don't play that card with me," she snorted. After raking a good, hard look over him, she sucked in a deep breath, exhaled, and growled, "Fine. Clock resets. Happy?"

"I don't make the rules, Tenten," he reminded her. "I just follow them."

"Just remember, Hyūga," she warned. "Payback is a bitch." She snatched the scroll out of his hand and strode rigidly over to the merchant. Neji sauntered behind her, and soon they had the rest of their supplies, including fresh sets of thermal undergarments like shirts and pants and socks added into the mix. According to their instructions, they would be braving harsh conditions, and these garments were the lightest and warmest available, and their best chance at avoiding hypothermia.

Neji knew better than to push his teammate too far. That night, he made sure they had a good, warm meal, and by the end of it, she was resigned to it all.

"Back to the drawing board," she half laughed, sipping at her tea. "Except I'm already one garment down."

"But think how warm you will be," Neji said dryly, and she couldn't keep from laughing.

"Yeah. That helps." She shook her head. "Oh well," she sighed. "What's one more month?"

Neji toasted her good attitude, and his good luck.

As much trouble as it caused her, Tenten was glad of their purchase. Barely twenty-four hours after they restocked, they encountered heavy winter weather. It was bitterly cold, and even the special tents and sleeping bags wouldn't have been enough without the extra layers. Tenten was about to zip herself into her mummy bag when she stopped and looked around, calculatingly. Neji raised his eyebrows in question.

"I just hope no bears or anything come after us," she muttered suddenly, flicking the zipper pull. "We're practically a carry-out meal in a convenient stay-warm/to-go wrap."

Neji 'Tch'ed' at her comparison, but it was clearly disguising a laugh. "Baka," he checked his supplies. "Where do you even come up with these things?"

Tenten propped her knees up, and rested her elbows on them. "Well, what would you call it?" she asked defiantly. "It took me ten minutes to get out of this thing last night! I'm keeping a kunai in here with me this time."

"You'll cut yourself," he scoffed.

"No I won't," she dismissed him airily. "I normally sleep with just a knife – well a knife and a scroll – but, I'm just upping my game in case of late night bear snacking."

She smirked as he saw him hide a laugh. "Go ahead and laugh, Hyūga, but you'll be grateful when I'm able to get to my things to chase off the bears. You can't jyuken anything if you are wrapped up tighter than a dumpling."

"Tenten," he sighed in what was actually good humor. "Just go to sleep."

"Well one of us has to think about these things," she muttered, wriggling down into her bag and zipping herself in before pulling the drawstrings to tighten the closures near her head.

Neji blew out the lantern and settled in for a good night's sleep.

Like all ninjas, Neji was a light sleeper, but he didn't need to be to be woken up by the explosion. He sat bolt upright, wide awake.

Well.

He tried to sit bolt upright.

He shot up but the thick sleeping bag forced him back down again. As quickly as he could – but nowhere near as quickly as he liked – he struggled out of the bag, yanked on his boots, grabbed a cape, and burst out of the tent. He saw Tenten standing in the freezing air, triumphantly twirling a kunai on the end of her finger.

"Oh good," she said, her nonchalance underscored by her smug grin. "You're up."

Neji activated his Byakugan, and scanned the immediate area before extending his search. His eyes widened as he saw the large tracks fresh in the snow, and followed them to the now-kilometer-away-and-still-rapidly-retreating bear. He blinked twice and looked back at Tenten.

"My traps kept him away," she said. "The exploding tag was an extra deterrent. Mostly noise and light; no real harm done."

She sauntered past him and entered the tent, poking her head back out to add, "You can borrow a kunai, if you want. I have extra."

He didn't take her up on her offer, but he did slyly take her advice, moving his own weaponry somewhere it might be more practical to access.

The next morning, as they packed and sealed away everything, he retrieved her kunai from a nearby tree, and handed it back to her.

"Thanks," he said, releasing the weapon when he could feel the pressure of her gloved hand against his own.

"Anytime," she grinned. "What are partners for?"

Neji smirked back. "Add 'keeping away bears' to the list."

Tenten laughed and tucked away her weapon, and they took to the trees, up and away from bears and just ahead of the snow.

FYI: Mummy bags are a real thing.  
As always, thanks for reading!  
-GL


	7. Chapter 7

 

**Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

One week and zero bear encounters later, they had made good progress on their journey toward Mifune's citadel. The newly formed Shinobi Union was officially headquartered in the neutral territory of the Land of Iron. Representatives from each of five main villages met monthly, working together as the shinobi world redefined its role in the wake of war. Shikamaru, Temari, Chojuro, and Omoi, were just some of the regular representatives. This was probably why it was Shikamaru's name next to Kakashi's and Mifune's, on their official documentation.

"There is someone up ahead," Neji's voice was muffled in her earpiece. Tenten glanced around from her position several paces behind him. (She always ran behind him, protecting his blind spot.) The weather had gotten colder, and they both wore masks similar to Kakashi's to protect their faces from the cold. Rather than try to yell over the sound of the wind, they opted for the standard field mics that Lee had never quite gotten a handle on using. Neji and Tenten perpetually had their mics turned down to the lowest level, because neither Lee nor Gai-sensei had a natural volume setting lower than booming. Tenten turned the dial on the collar around her neck to better hear Neji.

"Are they a threat?" Tenten asked, peering ahead through the gray of winter twilight, and already reaching into the pouch at her hip for a handful of shuriken.

"They do not appear to be," Neji answered. "Looks like a border patrol of some sort. I can see a small structure in the trees beyond the lone guard. Probably a checkpoint of some kind."

"Shikamaru's scroll should afford us safe passage," Tenten said, glancing around reflexively.

Neji's "Ah" finished her sentence. Neither of them was going to let their guard down.

The shinobi up ahead was making no effort to mask his presence. In fact, to both Neji and Tenten's surprise, he appeared to be broadcasting it. When they were in visual range, he lit and held up a lantern, swinging it overhead.

"Over here!" he called out.

Tenten caught up to Neji and they exchanged glances before stopping on a nearby tree branch, Neji still keeping watch with his Byakugan.

"Unless you are going back the way you came, you're going to want to head into the village," he pointed to the Northwest. "There is a fast-moving snowstorm coming this way, and nowhere for cover between here and the next village."

"How far is the next village?" Neji inquired.

"Twenty-five kilometers in clear weather," the man pointed due east. "You might make it, but there is a large, frozen lake between here and there. You can travel across it, but you will be out in the open for the storm. If you go around, the journey can take twice as long. If you get lost in what's coming," he looked around. "It's unlikely anyone will find you."

The man held up his lantern to better see them, and Tenten pulled down her face mask and pushed back her hood.

"From Konoha?" he said with mild surprise. "You must be going to General Mifune's citadel; there's no reason to be in this part of the country otherwise, and I know no one in the surrounding area has hired any shinobi."

Neji gave a single nod. Their destination was never likely to remain secret, hence their documents assuring their passage.

"Then you really should stay," the man said kindly. "I have no doubt that two Konoha-nin could make it to the next village, but Mifune's is North from here. You'll be losing time in the long run, and could possibly get stuck there for several days."

Tenten looked over to Neji, who gave another nod.

"We will take your advice," she said with a smile. "Should we go to the checkpoint?"

The man looked over his shoulder. "That? You can if you like, but you don't need your documents to take shelter here. Storms are sudden and fierce in this area. The villages around here communicate when travelers are passing through, and the border guard keeps a watch for any that travel along the main roads. It is too easy to get lost in these kinds of storms," he looked around as if reading the air.

Tenten cocked her head to the side, curious. "You just keep an eye out for travelers? How do you even know they are there if the storms are so bad?"

"There aren't many people in the Land of Iron," the man said simply. "Most of the people that travel are merchants or friends and family from the other villages, so we look out for each other. We alert the neighboring border patrols when travelers arrive or depart." The wind picked up and he looked up to the heavy clouds beginning to crawl across the moon. "It is early in the season for this kind of storm," he frowned at the sky. "This one caught many travelers off guard. We already have several groups that had intended to bypass our village, but had to stay. The inns are filling up. Don't worry, though," he smiled to Tenten. "Out of town-ers get priority. Most of the people already in town are staying with family. "

"Kyo!"

The man turned to answer the call of an approaching boy.

"Taro? What brings you out here?"

A gangly figure alighted next to the older man. "We just got word - Master Dai's group never made it back to their village. Has the border patrol heard anything about them?"

Kyo grimaced. "Let's go find out." Neji and Tenten didn't wait for an invitation to follow the two villagers to the checkpoint – a small structure visible from their perch in the trees. Kyo waved to the man high on a platform above the small building before jumping down to ground level and entering without ceremony.

The man sitting at the small table nursing a cup of tea looked up sharply. "What's wrong?" his eyes darted between the two villagers and the shinobi.

"Dai's family didn't make it to the next village," Kyo said. "Get on the radio, Nao. See if you can find them."

"Roger,"Nao responded, and went directly over to the radio while studying a well-worn map on the wall.

"Taro, how full are the inns?"

"I think there a couple of rooms left at our place," he replied, "but we are still shuffling people around, and there is one pretty big group that just came in from the west."

Kyo flicked a glance at Neji and Tenten. "Get your mom on the radio," he nodded to the other corner. "Let's see what she has to say."

Moments later, Neji and Tenten were listening to Kyo make arrangements for the returning party.

"I hate to ask this," he sighed, rubbing his head, "but in these situations we try to arrange to be able to take in as many travelers as possible. Miwa wants to know if we compensate by providing your meals, if you would be willing to share one room rather than taking two?"

Tenten shrugged. "That is fine." When Kyo looked doubtful, she added, "We are used to sleeping outside," she said with amusement, "so we don't need much in the way of accommodations. I even have my own futon, if you need to put us in a single room." The relief on Kyo's face was clear. He relayed the message to Taro's mother, before ending the transmission.

"She hated to ask that of you," he apologized. "It is just that there may be many people displaced tonight, and there are only so many places to house them in the village."

"We are used to lodging under far less comfortable conditions," Neji said calmly. "It is admirable that your village is so willing to accommodate those in need."

"Like I said," Kyo's smile was tired, but genuine. "We are like family."

"Kyo?" Nao called out. "You're going to want to see this."

"What's wrong?" he immediately asked.

"They passed this checkpoint over an hour ago," Nao drummed his finger on the map. "But they haven't been spotted by any other checkpoint since then."

Kyo narrowed his eyes at the map.

"That doesn't make sense," he frowned. "Taro, can you take our guests back to the village?" he asked. "Tell your mother to send two trackers. And don't worry," he put strong hands on the young man's shoulders. "We will find Dai."

"You don't need to send two others," Neji said calmly. "We will assist you."

Kyo looked doubtful.

"You don't have much time," Tenten interjected. "That storm won't wait. Let us help you."

Kyo looked between the two Konoha shinobi. When he saw how Taro was trying to mask his trembling, he knew he had only one answer to give.

"Then let's go."

Whatever doubts Kyo had, they were silenced as soon as Neji corrected their course to intercept the missing party.

"They must have gotten off of the path," Neji said over his shoulder. "They are about three kilometers this way. I am seeing seven people in one location and another three in the vicinity."

"Let's hurry," Tenten said with a glance to the skies. "I think we are on borrowed time, here."

The three of them quickened their pace, the makeshift camp in sight. There was a warm, golden dome of light over the two covered wagons, and an old man standing outside of them, hands over a dancing blue fire.

"Survival jutsus," Kyo said over his shoulder. "That is Ren – his party consists of his wife Rin, his five grandchildren, and his sons, Jun, Hiro, and Dai. They all live in the neighboring village, except for Dai and the two oldest granchildren. Their daughter Eri lives in our village, and Dai helps take care of his sister and her children."

Tenten caught up to Kyo. "And he is master to that boy Taro?"

"Ah," Kyo nodded. "Dai is a carpenter and builder, and Taro is his apprentice."

Seconds later, they arrived at the glowing domes of light, and passed through the barrier into an unexpectedly warmer space.

"This barrier is amazing," Tenten looked around appreciatively.

Kyo nodded sagely. "Ren is one of the best at these kinds of protection techniques."

"Nice of you to say, Kyo," the old man looked up as they walked into the protective jutsu.

"Is that Kyo?" an old woman popped her head out of the wagon before descending. "Sorry," she kept her voice down. "I just got the children to go to sleep."

"What happened?" Kyo asked them.

"Rogue nin," the old man said grimly. "They stole our supplies. Not that it will do them any good – they didn't take enough to get them through this oncoming storm."

"Is anyone hurt?" Kyo asked. "Rin?"

"No," the old woman shook her head. "Thankfully, everyone is fine. They moved quickly and incapacitated our sons with some kind of paralyzing jutsu, but did not hurt them."

"In the end, they came, took what they could, and left," Ren snorted. "Then they slashed the horses' reins and scared them off – probably to keep us from pursuing. Our sons are looking for the horses."

Tenten glanced at Neji – didn't that seem odd to him? However, he was busy looking for the horses.

"I found them," he said. "Two kilometers. Due South."

"That's near one of the smaller lakes," Kyo frowned. "Can you call your sons back?"

Rin nodded and after a quick series of hand signs, sent a blaze of light slicing up into the sky. Within five minutes the three men returned to the camp.

"Kyo! It is good to see you," the largest of them said gratefully.

"Jun, Hiro, Dai," Kyo nodded to them all in turn. "We've located the horses – two kilometers due south. Let's hurry to get them and get you back to our village."

None of the men questioned Kyo – they just nodded and followed. The snow was beginning to fall now, and the gusts of wind blew the existing snow up in clouds of white.

"There," Neji pointed.

The horses were in the middle of a treeless area, standing perfectly still.

"What is wrong with them?" Tenten asked.

Jun swore softly under his breath. "Nothing. They are doing exactly what they were trained to do." When Tenten looked at him in question, he continued. "They are on ice," he said. "That is part of the frozen lake. The ice must not be stable. We train our horses to wait for us if that is the case. Hiro. Dai. With me."

The men crept closer to the ice, and Hiro put a hand to it, sending out a pulse of chakra.

"It isn't cracked," he said. It is solid enough."

"There are exploding tags," Neji said, studying the ice.

"I can disable them," Tenten said. "I'll go ahead."

Neji nodded, and Tenten stepped onto the ice, channeling chakra into her feet to keep her steps sure. With Neji's help, she cleared a path for the horses, and Dai called the horses back to them. With a little coaxing, the four animals made their way across the lake, the ice making creaking noises behind them.

Tenten stayed back, looking over the lake suspiciously. She was a master trap setter, and this trap didn't make much sense to her. Were the nin just trying to delay anyone from rounding up the horses? She examined one of the tags more closely when it hit her. They were numbered. She did a swift count of what was in her hand and then shouted over to Neji.

"Do you see any more tags?" she called out, voice sharp.

Neji did a fast sweep of the area, "I don't think- Dai, WAIT!"

But it was too late. The last tag had been on the shoreline, and when the last horse crossed, it activated. The explosion sent up a geyser of snow and threw Dai back onto the ice. Hiro kept the horses from running, and there was a moment of stillness before the sickening sound of ice cracking fractured the air.

Tenten sprinted forward, running to get to the sprawled figure of Dai. She knelt and pulled his arm around her shoulder just as the fissures began to rip across the ice, and an eerie glow built up beneath them.

A blast of light shot up between the fissures and shook the air with concussive force. Tenten tried to shield the unconscious villager while keeping them both steady on the ice, wincing as the cold air sliced across her, battering her backward.

Now the trap made sense.

Neji started to run toward her, but she called back "Don't! There are more-"

The light welled and shot up around them again, fracturing more of the thick ice and churning the waters underneath. Tenten steadied them on their wobbling segment of ice, adjusting her hold on Dai as best she could. She grimaced with the effort; he was barely conscious, and therefore little better than dead weight. She knew she had to act fast. Tenten whipped out a rope with a grappling hook and cast it expertly toward Neji, who anchored it around a sturdy tree. Hands flying like lightning, Tenten tied the rope around Dai's waist before dragging his arm across her shoulder again, and crouching to leap to the next segment of ice. She moved quickly from one cracking segment to the next, infusing each leap with enough chakra to stabilize her landing and propel her forward.

She landed on a segment just as a kunai thunked at her feet. She shot a look of gratitude over to Neji and bent quickly to grab the weapon, shoving it through a loop at her waist with her free arm, threading the thin, attached rope through and and tying it off in a quick knot before making the next leap. Bright veins of light spiderwebbed through the ice and she could hear the cracking. Taking one more leap, and using whatever chakra and momentum she could muster, she propelled Dai forward, yelling – "PULL!"

In instant understanding, the brothers yanked the rope as hard as they could, and Neji lept on the closest patch of ice to snatch him from the air and bring him to the ground. He cut the rope and secured it around himself before racing back out for Tenten, whose actions had thrown her back toward the middle of the lake. She landed and skidded backward on a large chunk of ice before leaping forward again, moving much faster now that it was just her. She was no more than five meters from Neji when the ice trembled and the light shot up one more time. The combined force of her landing and the blast of energy from below tipped the frozen stepstone, sending her plunging into the water under the thick floats of ice.

The shock of the cold was almost enough to take her breath away entirely, and for the first five seconds she was completely stunned. Her training kicked in, then, and she kicked powerfully upward, slamming her gloved hands against the frozen surface above, and fighting the pull of the churning water. She could feel herself being dragged downward and she struggled to maintain her focus in the ice-cold, murky water. The tug at her waist was sharp and her hands flew to the rope secured there. She latched onto it, and hand-over-hand, fought to pull herself forward toward the small bit of light that managed to penetrate the darkness. A space opened above her, and she felt herself heaved above the breaking water, and strong arms latching under hers.

She gasped for air, just making out Neji's determined and reassuringly calm face as he hauled her upward.

"Tenten," he said sharply, "Are you-"

"One more," she chattered. "There is still one more to come."

Not stopping to question, Neji grasped her tightly and raced toward the bank, the ice rumbling below them.

"Hold on to me," he said firmly, anchoring his arms around her when the last blast came and frigid water and ice flew in the air, battering down on them.

Neji pumped chakra into his feet, and using his Byakugan and just a touch of genius, instantly calculated exactly where to leap to best use the momentum of the shifting ice to get them to the shore as quickly as possible. His last leap landed them both several meters inland, and they were instantly wrapped in warm blankets.

"Hurry," Ren said. "Back to the wagons."

Neji sliced the ropes from their waists, and ignoring her squeak of protest, scooped up Tenten and hurried after Ren and his sons.

Several other newly-arrived villagers were with Rin and the still-sleeping children, helping to secure the horses. Rin bustled over with an insulted cylinder and held it up to Tenten. "Drink this," she urged. Neji set her down but kept an arm anchored around her as she complied with shaking hands and blue lips.

"Th-thanks," she chattered, ice beginning to form along her hair and eyelashes. "Th-that helps."

"You, too," Rin handed another container to Neji. "Take these. You need to get back to the village, and quickly," Rin said briskly with a pointed look at Kyo. "We know how to weather what is coming, and we won't get lost. Not with this much help," she gestured to the extra villagers that had come to get them back. "Leave us. The four of you can move faster on your own."

"I'll go with them," Jun stepped forward.

Hiro was behind his brother, fastening a harness around him.

"Get on Jun's back," Rin wrapped the blanket more firmly around Tenten's shoulders with a mother's instinctual care. "The storm is coming, and you can't afford to move slowly. You will need your friend's eyes at the lead." Neji didn't have time to protest as they strapped Tenten to the large man's back, and put a cloak around them both.

"Survival trick," Rin said, placing a seal on the back of the cloak and putting a hand to it. Neji could hear Tenten's muffled sigh of relief.

She poked her head out and looked at her partner. "I-It's real-ly warm i-in here." She said through chattering teeth. At his stoic but skeptical look, she gave a small smile. "I'm fine, Neji," she assured him. "Let's get back."

"Ah," he bobbed his head, and with little more than a glance to the remaining villagers, the three men lept into the trees and disappeared into the night and falling snow.

"Drink some more of what Okasan gave you," Jun encouraged Neji as they ran. "You weren't soaked, but you got wet enough to cause a chill. That will help."

Neji complied, flicking a glance to the covered bundle on the man's back.

"What about her?" he asked.

"If we get back to the inn fast enough, it won't be a problem. Our people have lived in this country for generations. We know how to combat the cold and the effects of exposure."

Neji accepted the man's explanation and pushed forward. They passed several border guard stations and were waved through, as they raced against the dropping air temperature and the lowered visibility.

Kyo brought them directly to a comfortable looking inn, and they entered without preamble. The woman behind the desk looked up in relief.

"Kyo, Jun, you're alright!"

"We're fine, Miwa," Kyo said kindly.

"You must be the last two guests," she said flicking her eyes to Neji, and Tenten who poked her head out from under Jun's cloak. "This way," she instructed them, and Jun followed without putting Tenten down.

"The border patrol alerted us," Miwa said over her shoulder, pushing open the door to the women's side of the bath. The two villagers followed her without question, but Neji's sense of propriety demanded that he stop at the threshold. The innkeeper was quick to assure him. "There is no one else here."

Neji entered tentatively as Kyo helped Tenten out of the harness.

Tenten blinked at the lights, dazed. A shiver ripped through her, and the woman turned back to the three men.

"Alright," Miwa nodded. "I'll take it from here. Jun, please take-" she looked at Neji with question.

"Neji," he supplied.

Miwa looked to the kunoichi, who chattered. "T-Tenten."

"Please take Neji with you to the men's side and use the baths. We don't want either of you chilled." She turned back to Neji.

"My son Taro will make sure you get a hot meal, and then he will take you to your room. I shall do the same for Tenten," she put a kind hand on Tenten's still-blanketed shoulder.

"Th-thanks," Tenten grinned, tightening Rin's blanket around her. She turned an impish grin to Neji. "G-get going. The sooner you l-leave, the sooner I c-can get in the bath and warmed up."

Neji made some noise of amusement before bowing to Miwa.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

"This way," Jun held open the door, letting Kyo by. Neji had just crossed the threshold when Miwa halted Jun with an impulsive hand to his arm. The villager looked down at her in question.

"I assume you will all go back to Eri's?"

"Yes," Jun nodded. "Dai will probably stay to help with the children."

"Then I shall send back food for you all. I know she has been busy like the rest of us preparing the village for all of the travelers."

"We appreciate this, Miwa," Jun said, stepping through the door. "We owe these two for keeping Dai safe."

Miwa's fingers trembled against the door and she swallowed hard. "I heard," she said thickly. "Thank you."

Neji bowed his head, and she let the door swing closed behind them.

Kyo said his goodbyes and headed back to his border post to watch for the rest of Ren's party while Jun led Neji to the men's side of the bath.

Neji looked to Jun thoughtfully. "You know the innkeeper well?"

"Miwa grew up in our village, but moved here when she got married," Jun explained. "Her husband was killed when Taro was very young," Jun leaned back in the bath. "We have a younger sister, Eri, that lives in this village with her children. After Eri's husband died in the war, Dai moved here to work, and help take care of them. Taro is Dai's apprentice, and my brother is probably the closest thing that boy has to a father." Jun gave a sad shake of his head. "It is a hard thing for a boy to lose his father. The two of you kept it from happening twice."

No more was said on the subject, but Neji considered the situation for the duration of the bath, and the warm meal that followed. It was still on his mind as Taro led him to the room Miwa had prepared for him and Tenten.

"Sorry that we are full," Taro parroted his mother's apology. "Especially since you helped bring Master Dai back."

"It is fine," he assured the young man. "The meal was excellent." He flicked a glance to the door. "Did she eat?"

"Some soup and bread," Taro allowed. "She said she wasn't very hungry. She drank that elixir of Rin's, though, so that isn't too surprising. It keeps you warm and fills you up pretty quickly."

Taro held out a key to Neji, and he accepted it silently.

"Thank you, by the way," Taro blurted.

Neji waited expectantly, ignoring how the boy's face flamed with embarrassment. "For saving Master Dai, I mean," he mumbled.

Sensing the boy had more to say, Neji didn't respond immediately.

"It's just..." he swallowed hard. "It's just that Tousan has been gone for a long time, and Kaasan needs him, too. She would have been really broken up if something had happened to him. It would have been like losing Tousan all over again. Just..." he looked up at Neji and bowed stiffly. "Thank you."

Neji saw something of an all-alone little boy hiding in the awkward angles and morphing features of the pre-adolescent. He answered not the boy in front of him, but the man he was sure he would become. Neji bowed politely. "You are welcome."

The room was small with one good-sized bed, but there were extra blankets and towels, and a cheerful fire in the heath.

Neji found her sitting cross-legged on the elevated hearth, absently wringing her hair into a towel.

"Tenten?"

She snapped out of her musings and looked up before sliding over so he could sit in front of the fire.

"Sorry," she said as he sat down next to her. "I was far away." Neji didn't ask for an explanation and she slipped back into her own thoughts.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked.

"Just thinking. Nothing important."

She stood and stretched her arms over her head, the flat of her abdomen just visible as her top lifted with the movement. She arched her back and pulled her hands behind her before standing and rotating her shoulder with a wince.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she yawned. "Just sore." A shiver ripped through her and she added, "And still a bit chilled."

"That isn't surprising," Neji said, watching her carefully. "But your color is much better."

"You don't like me in blue?" she asked innocently, retrieving her pack.

"It wasn't the most flattering shade on you."

"Probably not," Tenten chuckled at the familiar dry wit of her partner. "I'll avoid it in the future." She sat on the floor with her bag and sorted through her scrolls. Neji watched her closely, as she huddled into her warm pajamas. He leaned over and hovered his hand just above the floor. It was markedly colder than the main air of the room, probably thanks to the air convection driven by the fire.

"Why don't I take the floor," he offered. "I prefer it to be cool when I sleep, and you should stay warm."

"I'm fine," she plucked out a scroll before putting away the rest. "That drink of Rin's really fixed me up, and whatever was in that food Miwa made took care of the rest. One good night of rest, and I'll be just fine." She flicked a glance over him. "And don't think I didn't notice. That last blast in the lake caught you, didn't it?"

Neji arched an eyebrow at her, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I should have figured it out sooner," she admitted. "Those tags weren't exploding tags; they were detonation markers. They transferred triggers into the ice for a numbered series of explosions. That kind of trap also generates shockwaves in the air that are powerful enough to injure someone."

She slid the hem of her shirt up to her right ribs, displaying an angry bruise. "That is what this is from." She didn't mention the large one on her left hip from where she had been thrown, or the one she was sure was crossing her shoulders right now. "I wasn't in the direct line of fire when I got this, but you were. I am guessing you have something like this, but worse." She dropped her shirt and planted a hand on her hip.

Neji wasn't about to admit that in shielding her, he had taken the brunt of a shockwave that left most of his right side sore and bruised.

"You'll be a sore and stiff wreck tomorrow if you sleep on the floor," she shook her head as she knelt to unroll her scroll to pull out her bedding. "It doesn't make sense for you to take the futon."

"And you flirted with a case of severe hypothermia," Neji retorted. "It makes even less sense for you to take the futon."

Tenten looked up at Neji with exasperation. "What do you suggest, Neji?"

"A compromise," he stood and masked a yawn.

"You want to take shifts?" she asked sarcastically.

"Right or left?" he held out his fists.

"Be serious, Neji," she sighed.

"I am always serious. Pick. Right or left?"

"Do you do kids' birthday parties, too?" she muttered. He held her gaze steadily, and she swallowed another sigh. "Fine," she stood, "But if this is that stupid pull-a-coin-from-your-ear trick, we will have words. Right," she tapped his fist before crossing her arms.

"Alright. I get left." She watched him as he gathered the two extra blankets near the foot of the bed and pushed them to the right half.

"Left what?" she asked.

Neji looked up at her with an arched eyebrow. "Left half," he nodded to the bed.

"There isn't any reason to-"

"Tenten," Neji crossed over to her, clearly inspecting her with his Byakugan. "Your chakra is still sluggish, and I'm not the only one who got injured tonight," he said pointedly.

They locked eyes, and he knew well the stubborn determination he saw in the angle of her jaw. He released his Byakugan, and softened his tone.

"We are both fatigued, and you are probably right – I shouldn't be on the floor, but neither should you. The bed is plenty large enough. In fact," he added, "it is more room than we had when we had to cram our futons together."

She maintained her stubborn silence.

Never breaking eye contact, he took a step closer and reached to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

Her breath hitched and her eyes widened fractionally, clearly thrown by this action.

He pulled his hand away and held up a coin for her inspection.

The break in the tension was palpable as she rolled her eyes and laughed. "We never should have taken that illusionist mission two years back."

Her eyes danced over him, and she gave him a lopsided smile. "Alright. I give. You win this round, Neji."

Neji pressed the coin into her palm with a smirk of satisfaction before crossing to the fire and tossing on another log. Soon, the only light in the room came from the fire and they were each on their respective sides of the bed.

"Looks like we might be here a couple of days," Tenten looked to the snow whirling outside of the window. The moon was obscured by the storm, and the winds were picking up every hour. "Guess it is a good thing we didn't lose any time on the way here."

"Or garments," Neji added, and she chuckled. She turned onto her side, facing him.

"No kidding," she agreed. "I have to admit; buying those thermal undergarments was worth having to restart the bet. They are probably what kept me from turning into an icicle tonight."

"Are you warm enough, now?" Neji asked, sliding a glance over to her.

"I'm fine," she yawned. "You were right, though. I'm not complaining about being in a warm bed." Her smile was genuine. "Thanks for sharing."

His "Hnph" was tired-but-amused-Neji for 'don't mention it.'

"Night, Neji," she rolled onto her back with a contented sigh. She was asleep before he could even respond.

Hours later, he woke specifically to get up and re-stoke the fire. He gently checked her forehead to see if she was cold or fevered, and - just in case - put another light blanket on top of her before quietly returning to bed.

He laid silent, and still, and very awake, listening to the gentle rhythm of her breathing. She murmured something incoherent and he felt the mattress dip as she shifted her weight in sleep.

Neji turned his head, taking in her serene expression, and something deep in his chest warmed and thawed what was left of the chill from his time outside. He didn't dwell on analyzing his reaction; he simply watched her until his eyes were heavy with sleep, and his dreams were full of a familiar smile.

Sometimes even a genius can be slow :)

Long chapter this time, friends! (for this story, at least). I love when I hear people are reading - thank you for all of your feedback!


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

**Underneath it All**   
*****You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

 

The moment Rin arrived back in the village, she went to Miwa to ask about Tenten. The older woman staunchly remained at the inn an on alert until the kunoichi woke. After a preliminary exam, Rin declared that while Tenten was fine, she needed a full day of complete rest and several days of limited activity to fully recover.

They were now in the evening of their second full day at the inn, and Rin was still tutting over Tenten's condition.

"I am sure you feel fine," she said over her shoulder as she stirred a large pot on the stovetop, "but if you were to try and exert yourself right now, you would notice a considerable difference in your chakra reserves and stamina. I have no doubt you can push through it," she added, tossing a look over her shoulder to where Tenten and Neji sat at the large wooden work table cutting vegetables, "but there is little to no point in it. You'll have to wait out this storm no matter what."

She gave a final stir with her spoon and rapped it against the top of the large pot before putting on the lid, and resting the spoon to the side.

She wiped her hands on her apron, and turned to survey their progress. Rin had come to help Miwa with the dinner preparations at the inn while the younger woman tended to the needs of the guests. Preparing food for this many people was a definite task, but it looked like dinner was going to be a fine meal.

A wide grin broke her features as she looked over the piles of neatly and expertly cut and/or peeled vegetables.

"I never thought to ask shinobi for help in the kitchen," she chuckled. "But it appears that your skills are transferable."

"We aren't hopeless in a kitchen," Tenten admitted, quickly dicing the few potatoes that required it.

"Do you cook?" Rin asked, pouring them all a cup of tea.

"Sure," Tenten shrugged. "We can all make food to survive in the field. That is part of our training."

"But do you cook?" Rin asked.

This time Tenten grinned. "Yes, I cook. I enjoy it, even if I don't get a chance to do it overly often. This has been a treat for me. What I'd really like to learn, though," she said, transferring the last of the potatoes into the bowl Rin had given her, "is how to make some of the remedies that you make up here. We get called to travel frequently, and that elixir of yours would come in handy. Does it always slow the chakra flow?"

"No," Rin shook her head, handing Neji his tea. "The remedy that Miwa gave you is one of mine, but we only administer it once the person is in danger of hypothermia, and unlikely to have to move on their own within 24 hours. It slows the body's normal functions to conserve energy in the cold, which naturally affects chakra levels. It is a trade-off," she admitted, putting Tenten's tea at her place as the kunoichi stood to rinse off her knives and wash her hands. "But it can save a life."

"Is that why I have not required more recuperation time?" Neji asked.

"Yes," Rin answered, while Tenten muttered something like 'that, and because you are Neji.'

"Well," Rin said easing onto the lone backed chair at the end of the long, worn worktable, "as you are both here for the next couple of days, I will show you what I can. I understand you already asked Jun about learning some of our survival jutsus?" she asked Neji, who nodded his head.

"When was this?" Tenten asked, returning to sit on the long bench on her side of the table.

"While you were with Miwa," he answered. "We still have to travel to the citadel, and then back through the Land of Iron. I project that such information would be useful."

"Good thinking," she sipped her tea thoughtfully. She looked over to Rin with a playful smile. "So what do you think, Rin? Can you and Ren stand to have apprentices for a few days?"

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Rin chuckled.

"Miwa? Have you seen…? Oh, here you are," Ren came to stand beside his wife.

Rin looked up at him with a smile. "Are the children all here?"

"Hai," he smiled fondly. "They are going to be looking for you. Right now, they are with Dai and Taro."

Rin glanced at the clock. "Did they eat?"

"Yes," Ren crossed to the counter to pour himself a cup of tea. "Eri made sure they were all fed before we made our way over. She and Jun and Hiro are going to bring over all of the baking. I suspect," he said, lowering himself onto the bench, "that our daughter kicked us all out."

Rin laughed, and put a worn hand over his. "Then I taught her well. It is impossible to get things done in a kitchen with the pack of you round."

"That and she was going to start on the sweets," Ren chuckled. "I think it is probably safer for the children that they don't get in her way. Oh well," he looked down the bench he shared with Neji, "What would we do without them?" he sighed, flicking a glance to Tenten, before looking back at his wife.

"Starve?" Rin offered sweetly.

"Probably," Ren admitted. "Has Miwa heard anything from the village?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes," Rin sat back in her chair. "Both of our daughters-in-law know that we are safe and shall be in the village a little longer. They are staying together to take care of the babies." She looked over to Neji and Tenten. "Jun's youngest was getting over a cold, and didn't travel with us this time. Hiro's youngest is only six months old, so she stayed with her mother and Aunt."

"Must be nice to have such a close family," Tenten said wistfully.

"You aren't close with your family?" Rin asked.

"I don't have any," Tenten shrugged. "Well, not in the traditional sense," she amended. "I have friends that are my family. Not like Neji," she chuckled. "He has more family than he knows what to do with."

"Even up here, we've heard of the Hyūga clan," Ren said, looking to Neji with interest. "It was certainly good fortune that you were with us last night. It might have taken Kyo much longer to find us, otherwise."

"I am glad we could be of help," Neji said simply.

They sat in silence a moment, sipping at their tea, while Rin looked up to the clock, mumbling to herself as she calculated the timing of her dishes.

"And how are you feeling," Ren asked Tenten fondly.

"Much better," she said with a warm smile. "Thank you."

"Normally Rin would have me check your chakra flow by now," Ren said, rubbing his chin, "but that seems redundant, given your teammate's abilities."

"That's a good point," Rin looked over to Neji. "Ren told me you can see chakra networks?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied without elaboration.

"Can you check to see if hers is sluggish at all?" Rin nodded to Tenten. "I want to make sure her recovery is progressing."

"I feel much better," Tenten faced Rin, ignoring Neji as he swept his all-seeing gaze over her. "I slept wonderfully the last two nights," she added. "I don't think I even moved."

"It is much improved," Neji said, his Byakugan fading. "It is still a little subdued, but not dangerously so."

Rin nodded and pushed out of her chair to perch on the long bench next to Tenten. She pressed one glowing green palm to the kunoichi's forehead, and the other to her upper back. Closing her eyes, Rin concentrated on her own pulsing chakra as it moved through Tenten's body.

"Still some muscle fatigue," she murmured.

Tenten covered her yawn with her hand. "Still some fatigue, fatigue," she chuckled.

Rin gave Tenten a pat on the back before standing and returning to the stove. "At least one more night of my herbal brew, and you'll be right as rain," she said, cycling through the various pots on the stove, lifting lids, and stirring contents. "The storm won't finish until the day after tomorrow. You will have one more deep sleep tonight, and then a normal sleep tomorrow. After that, everything should be back in balance."

Tenten collected her mug and Neji's and Ren's, taking them over to the sink and washing them.

"I'll hate to leave," she said, looking over to Rin. "This has been quite the adventure."

"Adventure?" Ren chuckled. "Is that what you call it?"

"Sure," Tenten smiled at him. "And I'm always up for an adventure." She dried her hands, and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Jjiji! Baba!" an overlapping chorus echoed down the hall and came crashing into the kitchen.

Rin looked up and put her spoon out of reach before bending to hug the two small girls and one small boy that had come looking for her and Ren.

"How are you, my darlings?" she kissed them all in turn.

"Fine," they chirped, before rushing to hug Ren as well. The younger girl, however, was mistrustful of strangers, and was staring at Neji.

Tenten noticed as she came back to the table, and crossed to the small girl. She crouched to be at her level, and studied her before asking, "What is wrong?"

The little girl kept her eyes fixed on Neji but she put a hand on Tenten's arm, fiddling with the sleeve of her shirt. She darted a look at Tenten before stepping closer and into the shelter of her shadow.

She pointed at Neji and whispered. "The stranger has ghost eyes."

Tenten laughed gently. "That is my friend, Neji. His eyes are special – they helped us find your family."

"Special?" She asked, unsure.

"Very," Tenten assured her, tucking a wild curl behind the girl's ear – which just rebounded and bounced back. "He is one of the best shinobi in Konoha, and he can see things we can't."

"Like ghosts?"

Tenten looked thoughtful. "I don't think so," she looked over her shoulder to him, eyes dancing. He solemnly shook his head 'no.' "No ghosts," Tenten affirmed.

"His hair is pretty," the little girl said. She looked at Tenten "Can I play with it?"

Tenten could practically feel Neji panic. "Sorry – he's not allowed. It's the rules."

"Oh," she accepted the simple explanation before eyeing Tenten's buns. "Can I play with yours?"

To Neji's surprise, Tenten shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

"Go on out to the hearth and relax," Rin called from her station by the stove. "I'll bring your tea."

And that was how Tenten ended up dragged by Rin's grandchildren to take a seat on a floor cushion in front of the fire.

It was just as they had been told – many of the people staying at the hotel knew one another. The inn was built to accommodate guests in the harsh cold of the Land of Iron. The communal area had a large stone fireplace in the center of the room and chairs were pulled up around it, people standing with their hands held to the four open arches of the cylindrical hearth.

The two little girls began brushing, weaving, braiding, and playing with her still-damp hair.

"It is like mine," the little girl, Sayuri, beamed.

"It's just wavy," Tenten brushed a fingertip across the girl's nose. "It doesn't curl as pretty as yours does."

"It's long," the older girl, Nori, buried her nimble fingers in the waves. "I couldn't tell when it was up."

Neji found himself thinking the same thing – he hadn't realized how long her hair had gotten. It was drying wavy in the warmth of the fire, and hung thick to her waist.

He watched as she played with the small girls, and how they marveled at her. He didn't know how long it was before Eri, Jun, and Hiro arrived, but when they did, the hearth room soon became a hive of activity. Tables spilled in from the large dining area and the room was filled with the good spirits that accompany an excellent meal in fine company. Even after the dishes were cleared, and the mess cleaned up, the laughter and camaraderie continued.

Just as Kyo had explained, there were very few people in the Land of Iron. Everyone there knew someone that knew someone from the village, or was a relative, or a known merchant - the list was endless. Only Neji and Tenten were from outside the Land of Iron. ("Or the only ones crazy enough to cross it at this time of year," as Tenten pointed out to Neji.)

Other villagers and guests gathered, and soon someone had an instrument, and someone else was singing, and a warm beverage was passed around. Dai sat near Miwa, and Rin and Ren looked after their grandchildren. Eri laughed with her brothers and danced with her children and nieces and nephews. Tenten discussed remedies with Rin, taking note of the kinds of plants and things she could tell Hinata about, and resolving that Sakura needed to speak with this woman. Neji agreed, and suggested inviting Rin and Ren to Konoha when the weather was less unpredictable.

Neji moved across the room and was speaking with Jun and Hiro, learning what he could about this area and what awaited them in their travels.

Tenten found her eyes growing heavy now that her belly was full, her aches had dulled, and she had drained her mug of Rin's healing brew.

It was Neji who finally stepped in when he realized that she was forcing herself to stay awake to be polite. He excused himself from his conversation, and crossed to where she sat, swaying gently to the music.

He put a firm hand on her shoulder, and she looked up with a small smile and raised eyebrows.

"Tenten," he said, "It is getting late. You should-"

He didn't get any further, as a laughing tumble of children raced over, and Nori cried "BASE!"

She all but careened into Tenten, and would have toppled her from her seat on the long bench, had she not been a shinobi. The children laughed and argued about who got where first, and who was out, and what happened next, and who was 'it.'

A small hand yanked on Tenten's sleeve and Sayuri looked up and behind her, shyly, as she ducked behind her cousin.

The older girl rolled her eyes. "Tenten-chan said that there was nothing to worry about - that is her friend."

Tenten glanced up at Neji, who was carefully watching the two girls, trying not to frighten the younger one.

"Come down," she patted the spot next to her on the bench. When he looked at her like she might be crazy (a barely noticeable shift in his expression,) she returned the look with a 'you owe me.'

Considering these girls (who were both sporting twin buns in their hair) were not currently braiding his hair, he had to concede she had a point. He moved slowly, and stiffly sank onto the bench next to Tenten.

Tenten reached a hand out to the younger girl, and she took it, stepping forward shyly. She darted a look up to Neji's face before immediately focusing on the floor.

"Sayuri, this is Neji," Tenten said softly. "He is a good person and he won't hurt you."

"I know," she whispered, chancing one more glance toward the stoic Hyūga.

"Good," Tenten wrapped an arm across the girl's shoulders. "I like when my friends get along."

"You are friends?" Nori looked between Neji and Tenten.

"For a very, very long time," Tenten said with a wry smile. She turned back to the shy slip of a girl and noticed she was watching Neji carefully. "I'd trust Neji with anything," she continued. "You don't have to worry about him."

The small girl looked up to Neji again before biting her lip and then bowing politely.

"Nice to meet you," she said quickly. "I'm Sayuri."

Neji gave a grave, polite nod.

"A pleasure to meet you, Sayuri," he said formally.

She gave him a quick smile before shrinking back into Tenten.

"There, now," Tenten laughed. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

She shook her head 'no,' and she grinned shyly.

"Good girl," Tenten gave her a hug, and kissed her forehead lightly. "Now go on. Get back to your game."

"C'mon," Nori herded the children. "Lets go! They giggled and ran toward where their siblings and cousins played, and other children danced. They occasionally looked back to Tenten who would wave (and would elbow Neji when he didn't give some acknowledgement to the girls.)

Tenten glanced over to Neji.

"What were you going to say earlier? Something about it being late?"

"Yes," he met her gaze. "You should retire for the evening."

"Why?" Tenten asked with a shrug. "We aren't going anywhere tomorrow, and I'm having a nice time. I'm not too sleepy yet," She continued, swallowing a yawn.

"Clearly," he said dryly.

"Just a little longer," she nudged him with her elbow.

"Alright," he conceded reluctantly. "A little longer."

She hummed her gratitude and watched the children play.

Not ten minutes later, Rin came bustling over. Apparently Neji wasn't the only one that noticed her drooping eyelids and sleepy smiles.

"You need rest," Rin admonished. "You should have gone to bed ages ago. Do you need help getting upstairs?"

Neji didn't miss the hopeful looks of several villagers as she shook her head, saying she could manage, although she was clearly seconds from sleep.

"I'll get her to our room," Neji said, and just managed not to smirk at the obvious disappointment that plural possessive pronoun brought.

"You don't have to, Neji," she smiled, hiding a yawn. "I can make it. Enjoy yourself."

"Nonsense," Rin huffed. "Young man, you take your partner upstairs this instant. Carry her if you have to." Rin put a hand to Tenten's forehead, and a pulse of chakra washed through her.

"Just as I suspected," Rin clucked. "The remedy has kicked in. You'll be asleep within 30 minutes. No more talking," she wagged a finger at Tenten. "To bed." She turned to Neji. "I can see that she is stubborn. You make sure she gets to sleep. Once she falls asleep, she should be out until morning."

Neji cut off Tenten's protests with a polite, "Yes, ma'am."

Neji led Tenten out, who grumbled. "I am not stubborn."

At Neji's arched eyebrows she amended. "Well. Maybe a little bit stubborn."

"Hn," Neji hummed.

She stumbled on the fourth step, and found herself being carried on the fifth.

"At this pace it will be morning before you get upstairs."

Tenten chuckled, and murmured her thanks against his collar when he placed her back on her feet inside their room. He stoked the fire, listening carefully as she dressed for bed. She came out, hair loose, eyes tired, pajamas on.

"Do you want me to take the futon tonight?" She yawned. "I'm warm enough."

"Did you not sleep well last night?" he asked.

"No, I slept great," she said. "You were gone when I got up – did I hog the bed?"

Neji kept his face toward the fire. "You barely moved from your position," he said, voice neutral.

"That is good," she yawned. "I had the strangest dreams and slept so deeply, I was afraid I'd kick you out of bed, or something." She looked to him carefully. "It is a comfortable bed; are you still alright sharing it?

"I don't see why not," Neji shrugged nonchalantly. "We both have more than enough room, and will need the sleep. I have no idea what the accommodations will be like at Mifune's or what will be expected of either of us. We might as well take the recuperative time now."

"If you're sure," she yawned again. "Because I am guessing I have about fifteen minutes of consciousness left, if you want to change your mind. After that, you'll have to move me."

"I won't change my mind," Neji said evenly, "and if you have more than seven minutes of consciousness left, I'd be very surprised."

Tenten slid under the covers of the bed and snuggled down.

"Are you warm enough?" Neji asked.

"Fine," she replied sleepily.

"Then I shall go get ready for bed."

"You don't have to. Go back downstairs and relax."

He didn't reply, and that told Tenten he hadn't heard her, or he was ignoring her.

Moments later, the mattress dipped under his weight as he lowered himself onto the bed, careful not to disturb her.

"Eight," she mumbled, her eyes barely open.

He looked over to her in confusion.

"Eight what?"

"Eight minutes," she breathed with a tiny triumphant smile. "You can be very surprised, now."

Neji arched an eyebrow.

"You forced yourself to stay awake?" he asked.

"Just to the eight minute mark," she admitted.

"Why?"

"Because you didn't think I'd make it past seven," she said with weary triumph. "And I did."

"Stubborn," he muttered.

"Yeah. I know," she smirked, falling instantly into a deep sleep.

Neji shook his head before settling under his covers.

He closed his eyes and listened to the rhythmic sound of her breathing.

Not ten minutes later, it happened.

Again.

It started with a subtle shift in the mattress as Tenten shuffled and then shivered in her sleep.

"She will be colder than usual when she sleeps," Jun had warned him that first night. "Her body's normal systems are slowed, so she won't make as much heat. Now that she is recovering, it will be noticeable. Miwa already put extra blankets in your room, but let her know if you need more."

On the other side of the bed, she was shifting restlessly while he lied still and listened.

She rolled deeper into her side of the mattress. He waited several minutes before carefully sitting up and reaching for an extra blanket. Noiselessly, he draped it over the already blanketed outline of her sleeping form.

That done, he sank back against his pillows and closed his eyes.

Twenty minutes later, he drifted to consciousness from a light sleep and he was suddenly and sharply aware of the warmth pressed along his side.

Their first morning there, he woke to find Tenten had shifted toward him in sleep and huddled against him.

It had happened again the second morning.

He cautiously tilted his head down, only to find Tenten's face nestled into the crook of his neck, and the rest of her tucked into his right side. He watched her burrow into him, fisting a hand in his shirt, and winding a leg over his.

While she had sought out his warmth in sleep the past two nights, it had not been quite as aggressively as this.

He stared accusingly at his right arm – the arm that was anchored across her waist and hip, cradling her to him. It was one thing to wake up to find your teammate pressed against you for warmth, and another to initiate the contact when she was unconscious… even if you had also been unconscious at the time.

He was contemplating how to extricate himself, when a shiver slid through Tenten's body.

For a moment, he did absolutely nothing.

He tentatively – awkwardly - brought a hand up to rub the top of her arm to try and warm her. When he felt her smile against his throat, it gave him pause. Unbidden, the realization that she fit snugly against him came to mind and was quickly dismissed. She unclenched her fingers from his shirt and slid her arm over his chest, resting her hand right over his heart. She relaxed and melted into him with a deeply contented sigh.

The previous two nights taught him she would continue to sleep deeply and without moving until morning. She would wake with no recollection beyond falling asleep.

He swallowed reminded himself that Rin intended this to be the last night for her to sleep so deeply, and that this would not be an issue after tonight.

Not that it was an issue per se.

Neji sighed, and pulled the covers around them both.

He covered the hand over his heart with his own, and absently stroked his thumb against her other arm as he held her close.

He told himself he hadn't told her about this, because he didn't want to embarrass her, or have her insist on taking the futon. But as her own warmth seeped into his skin, and her heartbeat fell into time with his own, he knew there were other motivations at play.

He wanted to be near her.

The ramifications of this realization were slowly blossoming in his nimble mind, but for now, he was content to hold her while they slept.

In the morning he left before she woke, and the event was erased from their personal history – a secret locked away in his memory only. He retreated to the tall pines to meditate, and stayed until their strong, crisp scent replaced the gentle aroma of lavender that followed him.


	9. Chapter 9

 

* * *

**Underneath it All  
** *****You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

Their remaining time at Miwa's inn was pleasant, but when the storm finally broke, Neji and Tenten were ready to be on their way.

Mifune had been alerted to the delay and their recalculated time of arrival, and was waiting for them when they arrived one week after leaving the village – nearly two weeks after the onset of the storm.

They weren't surprised to see the General flanked by his right-hand-men Okisuke and Urakaku, but one other man rounded out the welcoming party.

"Shikamaru?" Tenten said in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you didn't have to be back at the citadel for another month."

"I didn't," he said lazily. "Plans changed." He looked to Mifune. "Shall we, General?"

"Definitely. This way, please," he motioned for the group to follow him. There was no further conversation as they made their way through the vast citadel to what must have been Mifune's private office. The general took his seat on one side of a long, oval table and Okisuke and Urakaku took up their places standing behind him. Shikamaru indicated where Neji and Tenten were to sit, across from the General.

Shikamaru made the necessary introductions before taking his own seat next to Tenten, putting her between Neji and himself.

Mifune settled into his straight-backed chair and considered the Konoha nin.

"I apologize that we were unable to furnish you with more specific details about this mission before now," he began. "The nature of this assignment is sensitive, and we couldn't risk there being any information intercepted. As it is, the only people currently informed about this assignment are in this room, not including, of course, your Hokage." He looked them over before asking "What is your current understanding of the assignment?"

"We were told that this is an infiltration mission," Tenten stated, "but that there would be some training necessary before the mission."

"Correct," Mifune nodded once. "And are you also aware that this mission largely concerns you, Tenten?"

"I did let them know," Shikamaru inclined his head, "but I wasn't able to give any details."

"Simply put," Mifune folded his hands, "the fewer people on this mission, the better. Tenten, you will be the one infiltrating. Neji, you will use your Byakugan to monitor Tenten's progress during the mission. Your objective is to infiltrate the security surrounding the target, and find out everything you can about his operation. If he falls, so does the operation."

"And his operation is…?" Neji left the question open ended.

"On the surface?" General Mifune steepled his fingers. "He is a collector of fine art and a knowledgeable seller of rare gems and minerals. He owns many mines, and is involved in a vast network of trade. He claims to descend from a Samurai," Mifune scoffed. "But that is a false claim."

"Who is this person?" Tenten asked. "And what is he really?"

Mifune looked over to Shikamaru.

"His name is Takayuki," Shikamaru said slowly. "Our intelligence shows that while he legitimately owns the mines, his workforce isn't there by choice. Smaller villages have been attacked and the inhabitants disappeared. Some were reported as being decimated by natural disasters, but careful investigation indicates otherwise. How the villages are chosen, and the attacks launched are unknown. As the targets are unknown, we have been unable to warn or protect anyone; we never know about the attacks until after the fact. It has been impossible to anticipate the enemy."

"There aren't many people in the Land of Iron," Mifune continued, "but the villages are generally well connected to one another. Several smaller and more remote areas have been targeted, as well as some villages on our borders."

"And no one has been able to report on what has happened?" Neji frowned.

"We have found no survivors of the attacks," Mifune confirmed gravely.

Tenten and Neji exchanged glances.

"So where do I come in?" Tenten asked.

"Takayuki has a strange obsession with the Samurai," The General explained. "In particular, he is fixated on the onna-bugeisha."

"Female Samurai?" Tenten furrowed her brow. "I understood that there were none here."

"Not for a long time," Mifune sighed. "There are fewer women than men in these lands, and a long-ago battle claimed the lives of many of our onna-bugeisha. Eventually, the tradition died a natural death, if not a regrettable one. Takayuki is building an empire, and our sources indicate he is looking for a queen."

"A Queen Samurai," Tenten said flatly. "Why can't he play shinobi like everyone else," she grumbled. "At least there are plenty of us that would happily kick his-"

"Then what is the plan?" Neji cut her off with a warning look. "Tenten is a Kunoichi, not a Samurai."

"Takayuki does not know enough to recognize a very skilled and adaptable warrior from one who has trained seriously and long-term in our discipline." He turned to Tenten. "Your vast experience and exceptional skills with seals and weaponry are crucial to the success of this mission. You will be trained with our techniques for the naginata and the kaiken, as well taught tantojutsu and tessenjutsu."

"Tessenjutsu?" Tenten asked, looking at Shikamaru. "Isn't that Temari's specialty?"

"Different kind," he shrugged. "This isn't her area."

"We are still finalizing the details of the infiltration," the General continued, "but you will train here with us for at least one month. During that time, you shall go by the name of Lady Tomoe."

Tenten nodded slowly. "So there is an undercover element to this part of the mission?" she asked.

"We are building your, or rather Lady Tomoe's reputation," Shikamaru inclined his head. "There are representatives from the Land of Fire and other lands that pass through this citadel regularly. It has already been brought up at several meetings that the training of onna-bugeisha was to resume. The few that remained did eventually travel west, which will account for the delay in reviving the training. Also, Might Gai's taijutsu techniques are similar to more Western fighting styles. Any discrepancies in your interpretation of the style will still fit the established cover nicely."

"So you intend for me to be observed," Tenten noted.

Shikamaru nodded his head. "Eventually we shall make sure that you are seen by the correct people, and that Takayuki hears all of the proper rumors. When the time comes, we are confident he will inquire about you by name."

Tenten dipped her chin. It made sense. "Lady Tomoe…" she mused. "That name sounds familiar."

"She was a famous onna-bugeisha," Mifune nodded. "All onna-bugeisha claim her as an ancestor of sorts. It would not be inappropriate for the person carrying on the legacy of the onna-bugeisha to take on her name." Mifune's gaze was calculating as it slid over her. "You already have a look about you that is similar to old photographs of several of the onna-bugeisha. It is said that they originated from a clan in the west and then joined the Samurai in their fights. They merged with the women of the Samurai clans, and melded the fighting styles."

Tenten's face was calm but curious. "Is that why I was chosen?"

"It was a factor, yes," Mifune allowed, "but your specific skills were far more important. Shikamaru is confident that you will be more than able to handle yourself, and will require minimal backup. Add in that your partner has the Byakugan, and the two of you are exactly what we need for this mission."

"Thank you, General," she said politely, a grin tugging at her lips. "That is high praise."

The General nodded to Okisuke and he handed both her and Neji two scrolls a piece. Shikamaru fished out one from the pouch at his hip while Urakaku retrieved Mifune's scroll.

Neji looked at the scrolls in his hands. One was labeled 'supplies,' the other 'history.' Clearly the innocuous labeling was to divert suspicion.

"Please open the 'history' scroll and take a moment to review your mission details," Mifune instructed.

Neji unsealed a folder from within the scroll, and scanned the contents. There was back history on the onna-bugeisha, the Land of Iron, Takayuki, and any number of other things, including the details of his own cover. He read quickly and efficiently, making a mental note to compare his file with Tenten's later. She glanced at him, and he gave a slight nod. This was shaping up into an intricate and interesting assignment.

"As soon as this meeting concludes, your assignment begins, and in your respective covers. Everything you need is in your supply scrolls. All personal effects and civilian belongings must be sealed away – which, as I understand, will not be of any trouble for either of you."

He glanced between Neji and Tenten, who nodded agreement. "Good," he said, satisfied. "Neji, I have provided you with a set of our armor, that will mask your face. You will pose as the guard assigned to Lady Tomoe. During the sealed training sessions, you can resume your own identity. Your Byakugan will be of help to us. Also, as you are training partners, it makes sense to have you both present. You have both been provided with training gear and outfits for your time here."

He looked at them sternly. "It is essential for your cover that you wear only the traditional garments provided to you for the duration of your time here. Tenten, this especially applies to you. The onna-bugeisha have a myriad of detailed traditions and regulations. They follow strict training regiments and a dress code – it will raise suspicions if you are seen in anything other than the clothing we've provided, or if your civilian clothing were to be discovered in the laundry." He looked at Tenten dryly. "I do believe that I've mentioned how few women there are in the Land of Iron?" She nodded, mutely. "Well, there are none at the citadel. A woman's garments would be an immediately recognizable incongruity."

Tenten frowned.

"I thought you wanted others to know I am here?"

"In time, yes," Mifune agreed. "But no true onna-bugeisha would wear civilian clothes while assigned to the citadel. It was actually part of their own regulations. That is why all personal garments must be sealed away until the training is complete."

Tenten felt something akin to horror seep over her skin. She swallowed hard before asking, "All garments?"

"Yes," Mifune nodded. "All garments. As part of our training tradition, everything will be laundered for you, as you will not have the time to do it. If civilian clothes were found in the laundry, it would undermine your cover. At the moment, only those of us in this room know that you are here. I'd prefer the soldiers not learn anything to the contrary through something as mundane as female garments in the laundry." He did smirk slightly. "On a practical note, it is a long winter in these lands. Talk of a woman in the citadel – particularly a civilian one – could not only undermine your cover, but could also incite unwanted attention from those that hear of it, leading to a disruption of your privacy."

Tenten didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or scream, so she settled for staring blankly at the General. Neji on the other hand, narrowed his eyes and his spine stiffened.

"General," Neji said coolly, "I trust you are not telling my teammate she is to expect any of your soldiers to behave improperly and to take precautions to avoid the same."

"Absolutely not," the General shook his head. "Our code of conduct is extremely strict and I shall not excuse insubordination. Any soldier who attempts to cross any of those lines will answer directly to me. Although," he half smiled, "that might be a lesser evil than allowing your teammate to react accordingly."

Shikamaru smirked. "The women's training clothing is not vastly different from the men's," he explained. "They will not call attention to your presence… but women's clothing in the laundry – particularly, undergarments, will call particular attention. If the training of the onna-bugeisha had actually resumed as we are implying it has, this is what would be expected. As a further precaution," he looked over to Neji, "the two of you will be staying in a less trafficked area of the citadel. Your rooms are adjoining, so even if someone from the inside or the outside was stupid enough to target either of you, you won't be alone."

"Okay, I have to ask," Tenten blurted out. "What do you mean the training clothes are 'not that different' than the men's? Like how 'not different' are we talking, because I probably have a couple of concerns to raise."

Neji gave a slight cough that might have been a masked warning, or a laugh.

"I can do my own laundry," she added. "It will be like when we are in the field – no inconvenience. That removes the problem, correct?"

She looked hopefully at the General, who gave a slow shake of his head.

"I am sorry, but I must ask you to adhere to this current restriction. Both of you," he added, including Neji.

Neji watched Tenten swallow a mix of anger, helplessness, and disbelief before resigning herself.

"Even underwear?" she blurted.

Ok. So she hadn't quite resigned herself.

To his credit, Mifune didn't even flinch.

"Yes."

"And… these garments," she fished about for the correct wording. "They… they are… functional?"

Neji watched the tops of her ears begin to turn red, even as neither Mifune nor his men reacted.

"I have been told," Mifune said calmly, "that they are appropriately supportive, and adapted to the needs of the wearer. Should we discover otherwise, we shall re-think our strategy."

Tenten ducked her head in a sigh of cautious relief.

Shikamaru cleared his throat.

"Let us discuss the outline for your time here," he suggested, "as well as the projected layout for your infiltration mission."

The meeting lasted quite some time, as there was a significant amount of information to cover. They ate their dinner around the large table, studying maps, profiles of known members of Takayuki's organization, current strategies, and projected outcomes.

Finally, even Neji was having trouble masking his fatigue.

"It is late," General Mifune said, standing. ""Tomorrow, we shall assess your skills in kenjutsu and archery, and you will want to be rested. Let us retire for the evening and reconvene in the morning."

The meeting concluded, and Neji and Tenten were led to their quarters. She eyed him sharply, and muttered a low and dangerous "Not a word, Hyūga."

He took the warning, and they traveled the long, vaulted corridors to their room in complete silence.

"This area of the citadel is largely for guests or visiting dignitaries," Urakaku explained. "Sometimes, it is even used for prisoners of war that do not require more restrictive measures."

He opened the main door, and they followed him in to a generous sitting area.

"This suite was constructed for use by dignitaries and their body guards. The main room," he slid back the door that looked like traditional Japanese paper, but Tenten was certain was not, "will be your quarters, Lady Tomoe."

Tenten looked over the room and then back to the bald man with the dragon tattoo. "Lady Tomoe, huh?" she asked.

He met her gaze stoically, and she gave a half sigh half laugh. "Lady Tomoe it is, then," she nodded. "Thank you, Urakaku."

"You are welcome. Good night, Lady Tomoe. Soldier," he looked to Neji.

Neji acknowledged the designation with a murmured. "Senpai."

Urakaku nodded his head, and Neji suspected that he smiled, even though his mouth was obscured by the scarf around his neck and shoulders. With that, he left the room.

"Might as well get settled in," Tenten sighed.

"Hn."

She turned to go to her assigned room, taking a moment to take in the utilitarian yet spacious quarters.

Tenten hefted her bag onto her bed and rearranged her scrolls. As she would be here for a while, it made sense to use the drawers and wardrobe provided. She unsealed the garments, thankful that things were labeled.

Even though she and Neji had separate bathrooms, she alerted him she was closing the door to her room, and took a long, hot shower. When she finished, she wrung her hair into a towel before braiding it, and dressed in the clothes provided to her. The sleepware was modest and utilitarian, and included a robe. She tied the sash around her waist before looking mournfully to her clothes. She sealed everything in her scrolls with a resigned sigh.

"Tenten?"

She crossed to the partition and slid it open. Neji was also dressed for sleep, with a robe similar to hers own tied over his pajamas. She smirked at him.

"Looks like we match."

Neji gave a return smirk, but offered no comment.

"Do you want a cup of tea before bed?"

"Yes, please," she sighed. She crossed into the common area and accepted the steaming mug gratefully.

Neji looked at her critically. "Are you still fatigued?"

"Yes, but from today only," she replied before sipping at her mug. Like I told you a week ago and every day since, I am fine."

"Hn." Neji hummed.

They drank in companionable silence, Neji sitting correctly in an upright chair, and Tenten curled into the corner of a couch.

Tenten held the warm ceramic to her chest and closed her eyes briefly. Luckily, she had finished most of her tea, and Neji was fast enough to intercept her hand before it dropped to her side and sent the mug rolling across the floor. Gingerly, he placed her cup to the side, and then scooped her up, and took her to her bed.

Neji managed to pull back the covers and set her gently on her side of the bed without her so much as flinching. The moment she hit the mattress, she burrowed into its softness, and curled her arms around the pillow. Neji deftly put the covers over her before extinguishing the lamp and sliding the door shut behind him.

He meditated for a short while before taking to his own bed.

He wasn't sure what he thought about the rest of this mission, but he had no doubt that his partner would master whatever training they put forward for her. He looked to the plain ceiling with heavy eyes.

Neji finally permitted himself a chuckle at their current predicament, and Tenten's continued turns of bad luck. He had no doubt that she'd have words about this over breakfast. Soon, he too was in a deep sleep, ignoring the empty air and open space on the right side of the bed.

* * *

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now you know why Tenten and Neji were picked for this assignment! Poor Tenten - she just can't catch a break.  
> By the way:  
> \- onna-bugeisha are/were a real thing, and so was Lady Tomoe.  
> \- When Mifune discusses Tenten/Gai having a 'Western' look/feel to their appearance/fighting style, 'Western' means Chinese, not European or American. Team Gai is noted for their Chinese influences in their design and fighting styles, so it fits here.  
> \- Samurai's used iron fans. Tessen (fan) jutsu.  
> \- There are Chinese techniques for fans that look like dances and they are amazing. I see Tenten as blending the different styles for this mission.  
> \- Yes, I do look these things up and research them :)  
> \- - that is probably why these stories never stay super short. Le sigh!  
> As always, thank you for reading, friends! All of the best!


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

**Underneath it All  
** *****You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

The days began to blur together for Neji. Mifune had warned them both that the training period would be intense, and he had not exaggerated in the slightest. Every morning, both he and Tenten were up early and reporting to one of the many training areas before breakfast. Meals were often brought to them there, or eaten in their quarters. They never ventured to the mess area, and saw only the few people assigned to them by the General.

Not for the first time, Neji mused that had they not had the training of Might Gai, they would have had difficulty adapting to such a strenuous and structured regimen.

As it was, though, they were not only negotiating it well, they were thriving. Tenten was absorbing the techniques as quickly as Mifune could teach them. Neji preferred hand-to-hand combat over weaponry, but he was an observant and intelligent opponent. Several of the fighting styles Mifune was introducing were vaguely similar to the Gentle Fist stances and flow of movement, and Neji was an excellent resource in helping Tenten acquire these techniques more quickly.

The tanto and naginata were not her usual brand of weaponry, but she had mastered them well enough to please the General.

"We shall move on," he announced, and one of the few men he had assigned to these secret training sessions cleared the weapons.

The five minute break gave her and Neji a moment to check for injuries, drink some water, and prepare for the next round. Neji instinctively scanned the area with his Byakugan, pausing when he noticed the chakra signatures.

"Who is in the observation area?"

Mifune directed his men to put two long, black cases on the shallow tables against the wall.

"I have three people assigned to observe from above," he said, unlocking the cases. "It will be helpful as we move on to this next technique."

Neji's Byakugan receded, and he said nothing more on the subject. Tenten came forward to examine the new additions.

"The stories paint the onna-bugeisha as masters of weaponry," Mifune said as he worked with the finicky latches on the box. "They relied heavily on the naginata and tanto. However, many people in the Land of Iron tend to remember and repeat the stories of the onna-bugeisha wielding the Iron Fans."

He stepped back and allowed Tenten to peer into the box. There was an assortment of fans – some bamboo, others iron – and in a variety of patterns.

"Why is that?" Tenten asked.

He indicated that Tenten could handle the weapons, and she stepped forward eagerly.

"The clan of warrior women that settled here and eventually married into the Samurai clans had their own style of tessenjutsu," Mifune said, reaching for the bamboo fan nearest to him.

"Their katas and style were far more fluid and dynamic than our techniques," he continued. "Almost like a dance with intricate patterns with the fan open or closed to deflect or slice the opponent. While we do have kata utilizing the opened fan, we most often used it while closed to disarm or strike an opponent at close range."

"I can see why," Tenten said, weighing the closed iron fan in her hand. "This would be a good bludgeoning instrument."

"I will first teach you how the Samurai used the tessen," he watched as she flicked open the fan and tested its weight, "but it will be more important that you master the more western style."

"We will start with these," Mifune indicated the bamboo fans. "To give you an idea of how to move with the fans and the basic techniques. Unfortunately, due to our limited time, we shall have to move to the iron fans sooner rather than later."

She flicked the fan open then closed before flipping it around to catch it and open it again.

"Guess you could flip them while open," she murmured, flicking the fan into the air and then snatching it.

A slow grin slid over Mifune's features. "Perhaps we can start with the iron fan after all."

They worked for hours on the basics of how to open, close, flip, slice, and move with the fans. Mifune handed her the bamboo fans before demonstrating two Western styles.

The first appealed to Neji. It was meditative, and moved with slow, continuous purpose and control. Mifune urged him to learn as well so that Tenten would have a practicing partner.

The second style more than appealed to Tenten. Where the samurai style was quick but utilitarian, and the first Western style was graceful and slow, this style was dynamic and moved much more quickly.

"This is way more fun," she grinned, sinking into her stance before moving quickly to the next. She leapt into the air, and kicked before hitting her next pose, and flicking the fan out dangerously.

"You do it well," Mifune nodded. "Of the three styles, I believe this is the one Takayuki will most want to see."

"It is the most visually engaging of the three," Okisuke said, watching as Tenten made her way through the kata. "It would be wise to spend time perfecting this particular technique."

"Not a problem," Tenten smiled before tossing the fan up and catching it. "This is worth the work."

It must have been, because they spent hours working the techniques non-stop.

Mifune was an exacting but excellent teacher, and the next two weeks worth of training were executed with military precision. Neji noted the three ever-present chakra signatures in the observation area didn't match any of the samurai they had met so far. It piqued his curiosity, but not his suspicions, so he remained silent on the subject.

Tenten had just finished decapitating a training dummy when Mifune ended the day's training.

"That is enough for today," Mifune decreed motioning Urakaku forward. The man pulled two scrolls from his wide sleeves and handed them to the general.

"From your village," Mifune explained, handing them each a scroll. "We reconvene tomorrow at 07:00. Depending on how the morning session goes, we will most likely move on to the next round of your training."

"What will the morning session be?" Tenten asked. Mifune often started the mornings with a random skill review. Yesterday it had been on balance. Several days ago it had been shurikenjutsu. (That session had ended in fifteen minutes.)

"Archery and horsemanship," Mifune crossed his arms. "Particularly your marksmanship while on horseback as that is another skill that will be expected, and you will likely travel by horse."

A slow grin crept across her lips. "Sounds like fun."

Mifune gave a little smirk of a laugh. Neji suspected the General was beginning to appreciate Tenten's personality as well as her skill.

He gave an authoritative nod.

"Well done today. Dismissed."

The two shinobi bowed, and gathered their belongings.

They were well into the twists and turns of the citadel that lead to their quarters when Tenten side-eyed Neji, mischief tugging at the corners of her mouth. He waited until they were in the privacy of their own wing, and no other chakra signatures were anywhere to be sensed.

"What is it?" he asked on what might have been a sigh.

"Just wondering about the quality of my guard," she said offhandedly. "What kind of bodyguard attends his charge henged in armor rather than just wearing the armor?"

Neji gave a light snort.

"That armor might work for the samurai, but it is of no help to a shinobi. If I didn't have my Byakugan, I wouldn't even be able to see out of the ridiculous contraption."

He opened the door to their quarters, and nodded for her to enter first. As soon as the door was closed and locked behind them, he released his disguise. "Besides," he continued, removing his shoes, "It is hardly conducive to the Gentle Fist style. Were someone stupid enough to attack the two of us, I would rather be able to defend ourselves in the style to which we are accustomed."

"Admit it," she put her shoes by the door. "It is heavy, it chafes, and you hate it. End of story."

"Hn," he said dismissively, striding into their common area. Her laugh was light and warm behind him.

"You hate it when I'm right," she teased, stretching her arms above her head and then rotating her shoulders experimentally. "I'm going to take one of those supplements Sakura gave me," she said with a slight wince. "I don't want to try to stay on a horse while sore."

"Is it possible you overdid it?" he asked dryly.

"You know how we work on Team Gai," she shrugged. "Dynamic Entry or stay home!"

Neji just managed not to groan and she laughed.

"I asked Urakaku to have dinner sent up for us," she said, crossing to the sink and refilling her water. "I'm guessing it won't be too long before it is here. I'm going to get cleaned up. Don't forget, they collect the laundry tonight."

"I had forgotten," Neji admitted.

"Of course you did," Tenten muttered. "Then again, before our bet, I didn't pay nearly as much attention to anything laundry related."

"It's good for you," Neji offered smugly. "Think of it as specialized training."

Tenten settled for narrowing her eyes before she disappeared into her room, muttering under her breath.

Neji suppressed his smile before returning to his own room. He considered the canvas bag provided to him specifically for laundry.

"No sense in wasting a trip," he muttered to himself before adding his current garments to the bag and taking a fast shower to dispel the remaining aches of the day.

In moments he had changed into his sleepwear and had placed the bag by the door to their suite. He eyed the scrolls Mifune had given them. They were on a side table, left to be considered over dinner. While he was curious as to the nature of their contents, he resolved to wait for Tenten before reading anything.

He heard the knock at the door and inwardly cursed at himself.

He had forgotten about the _person_ bringing dinner.

He quickly henged to appear in his earlier outfit and answered the door. The man on the other side entered and placed a tray on the table.

"I shall collect the laundry when I return for the empty tray," he said in a low voice. With a respectful nod, he left as unobtrusively as he had come.

The door had no sooner clicked shut when Tenten slid open her door, laundry bag in hand.

She placed it by the door and frowned as she saw Neji still in his training gear.

"You didn't have to wait," she clucked. "Go on and change. I'll wait to eat."

Neji quirked an elegant eyebrow before releasing his henge.

"Well, that's a relief," she grinned impishly. "I'm _really_ hungry. I'm not sure I would've made it."

They lost no time tucking into their dinner, deciding to peruse their scrolls once they had finished. As it turned out, they both had a substantial appetite, and it wasn't long before Neji was sipping his green tea while Tenten set hers to the side to cool and retrieved the scrolls.

They each unsealed their own scroll, finding them to have several sealed items apiece.

Shikamaru's brief note explained that several of their friends – mostly Lee and Gai – had wanted to send along their hellos, and asked Shikamaru to accommodate them.

"Guess the Hokage couldn't say no to his Eternal Rival," Tenten chuckled, scanning the notes from Lee and Gai. There were small batches of supplies and gifts from various friends, all of which had been rounded up by Lee.

There was a note from Gai:

_Neji,  
My Eternal Rival cannot say for certain where you are in your mission, but he promised me this would get to you and Tenten. I hope you are both enjoying your full bloom of youth, and-_

Tenten was giggling.

Neji looked up from his message, an eyebrow arched in question.

"It's Lee," she said with a smile. "I'm just reading about this new training he has started, and he outlined it for us in case we wanted to give it a go. He says that he is certain we are learning new techniques and he is training so as to be a worthy adversary when we return."

"He was a worthy adversary before we left," Neji said dismissively.

Tenten's eyes widened, and her smile warmed.

"Hyūga Neji… did you just compliment Rock Lee?" she asked with well-feigned incredulity

Neji sat a little straighter and a little stiffer. "Why shouldn't I?" He asked coolly. "He is our teammate after all."

"And he would dearly love to hear that kind of praise from you," Tenten smiled gently. "He'd never believe me if I told him."

"Hn," Neji half scoffed; sipping his green tea.

Tenten happily returned to reading her scroll, and Neji decided to wait to return to Gai-sensei's rather long message after reading through a few others. They sat in companionable silence, Neji absently holding his cup in place as Tenten refilled it.

A knock came at the door, and Neji looked up sharply. His Byakugan revealed that the samurai from earlier had returned for the dishes and laundry.

"Henge or hide," he said to Tenten as he rose to his feet.

"Why bother?" she shrugged. "This is more modest than anything I sleep in at home, and half of what I usually train in. And even if this person didn't know who we really are, which, I am certain he does, it isn't as if it is unseemly for "Lady Tomoe" to be awake and in the common area in the company of her bodyguard."

Neji suppressed a sigh. "It _is_ unseemly," he explained with a forced patience. In a moment he had henged back to his previous appearance, and looked at her pointedly.

"Have it your way," she muttered, and stalked off to her room.

Neji admitted the man who put the bags of laundry and dinner tray onto a large cart before bidding them a good night.

Tenten slid the door open a fraction. Neji didn't even look up from the scroll he was reading

"Is it safe?" she whispered dramatically.

"No," he said flatly. "Hide under the bed until I tell you to come out."

"Very funny, Hyūga," Tenten pushed back the door and sauntered back in the room.

She cleared away her scroll, and began shuffling her cards, earning a smothered sigh from Neji.

"Hush," she said with a smile. "Or I'll tell your fortune."

"How can you believe in all of that nonsense," he scoffed lightly, returning to his reading.

"Says the man who used to have some serious hang-ups about the inevitability of fate," she muttered, laying the cards out on the table.

He gave a soft grunt as a rebuttal, and she ignored him. The sound of cards being turned over and studied occasionally punctuated the silence between them. Neji glanced up to see her looking thoughtfully at a card in her hand, before returning it to the deck. Abruptly, she gathered them all together and stacked them neatly before returning them to a hinged metal case.

"Done already?" he asked dryly.

"Was just curious," she said idly.

"Making sure you aren't going to fall off of your horse tomorrow?" he asked, eyes back on his reading.

"I don't need the cards to tell me that," she stood and stretched. "And as I recall, the only one who fell off of a horse last time was you."

"It was charging for a low branch, and I jumped," he retorted.

"And then fell out of the tree?" she asked eyebrow raised.

"No," he grumbled, and ended the conversation.

"So many secrets, Neji," she tsked. She checked the clock and gathered up her cards and scroll. "I'd better get some sleep. Don't stay up all night reading," she warned. "You're just as likely to have to ride as I am... and twice as likely to fall off."

Neji glowered at her.

"Just looking out for my teammate," she said sweetly, but with an impish twist to her smile.

"Good night, Tenten," he said pointedly.

"Good night, Neji," she laughed. He watched her cross to her room pausing to look back and offer "Sweet dreams," before sliding the door shut.

It took him two sets of falling-off-of-my-horse nightmares before he settled into a deep sleep. He wasn't quite sure what his last dreams had been about, but they had been pleasant. He was at a loss, however, to explain waking to a curious disappointment of empty arms that he was oddly sure had been warm and full in sleep.

* * *

The last arrow sank into the target, piercing its predecessor.

"That will do," Mifune said with no inflection, but a pleased tilt to his expression.

Tenten rode back over to the horse's handler, and dismounted. She took a moment to speak gently to the giant, murmuring her thanks to him.

Her last round of training had been completed while wearing armor, and Neji moved to help her remove it.

"Well done," he said quietly, taking her helmet.

"Thanks," she grinned. "You, too."

His smirk was small, and they finished working in silence.

Mifune strode over to them purposefully.

"We shall reconvene in two hours," he said without preamble. "Report to our usual training area, ready to go through your tessenjutsu. I'd suggest a light lunch," he offered. With that, he left.

"That doesn't sound good," Tenten said, foreboding snaking up her spine.

They were fifteen minutes early, both smelling decidedly less like horse.

Mifune entered the arena, flanked by several samurai neither of them recognized, and one figure in training gear.

One _female_ figure in training gear.

Tenten stood a little straighter, curiosity piqued.

Neji immediately recognized the three chakra signatures from the observation area.

"Tenten, is it?" the older woman approached her.

"Yes," she inclined her head respectfully.

"I have been watching you," the woman's intelligent gaze swept over her. "You have learned our techniques quickly."

"Thank you," Tenten accepted the praise graciously, but there was a happy flush on her cheeks.

"As the General told you, the tradition of the onna-bugeisha has faded over time. There are very few of us left. It has been quite some time, though, since I took on a student."

Tenten's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "A student?"

The woman inclined her head - midnight black streaked with gray.

"The General contacted me at the onset of this mission. I allowed him to teach what he has shown you so far, but now it is time that I take over your training."

"That is an honor, Lady...?"

"Takeko is sufficient," she replied. "I will help you complete your training," the older woman said firmly. "But I warn you," she held Tenten's gaze in a fierce stare, "do not let my years fool you. I am not an easy taskmaster, nor a forgiving opponent."

"Hai, Takeko-sensei," Tenten bowed.

The woman's beautiful but stern features slid into an emotionless mask. "Then we are at an understanding. I have never had a student able to stay upright at the end of their first session. Let's see if you will be the exception."

Hours of grueling spars and training later, Tenten was exhausted, battered, and aching, but she was standing.

"Not bad for the first day," Takeko said coolly. "Return tomorrow, 07:00 hours. I'd suggest skipping breakfast."

With that, the woman exited the training area.

The second the door closed behind her, Tenten collapsed forward. It took her mind a moment to work out that she hadn't hit the ground. She had fallen onto Neji's back.

"Let's get you back to the room," he said quietly.

"Thanks, Neji," she murmured as she wound leaden arms around his neck.

She couldn't see his small, fond smile, but the ring of pride in his voice was unmistakable. "You're welcome, Tenten."

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually do quite a bit of research for my stories, so I want to point out some facts vs. fabrications.
> 
> * The onna-bugeisha were the wives of the samurai class, and were expected to be able to defend the home. They were trained to fight.
> 
> * Their weapon of choice was the naginata - a long pole ending in a blade that could be used to easily unseat a horseman.
> 
> * They also used tantojutsu (a tanto is a small, short sword) and archery.
> 
> * The Lady Tomoe and others of legend were said to be excellent archers and riders, as well as exceptionally skilled swordswomen.
> 
> * While the samurai did use the iron fans, the association of the onna-bugeisha with tessenjutsu is relative to this story only; I have not found any indication that they used these weapons/techniques.
> 
> * Also, the idea that the onna-bugeisha evolved from a 'western' (Chinese) clan that then intermarried with the Samurai is also a complete fabrication.
> 
> * The two "western" fighting styles using the fans are Tai Chi and Kung Fu.
> 
> * The Samurai methods truly were more utilitarian, and often treated the Iron Fan as a bludgeon for disarming an opponent. I'll put a few videos up on my tumblr page for reference, if you are interested in seeing more.


	11. Chapter 11

 

* * *

**Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

It had all started with a hunch.

Neji knelt at the edge of the re-frozen lake, brushing his fingers against the surface and clearing the light dusting of snow from the ice. He gingerly placed the tag on the bare patch, and activated it per Tenten's instructions. When nothing detonated, exploded, or calved the ice, he released a small, relieved breath.

He stood and looked over his shoulder to Jun, who knelt to send a quick pulse of chakra through the lake.

"Solid," he stomped on the surface. "A good twelve inches all around. Thicker in most places."

They continued their inspection, walking toward the middle of the lake. Satisfied, Neji signaled for the rest of the team to finish up their survey of the area around the lake and join them.

"You sure this is safe, Hyūga?" Kiba looked around, skeptically, sniffing the air.

"It has refrozen," Neji assured them. "None of the detonating jutsus remain."

"Oh, well, there's a relief," Kiba muttered dismounting from his seat on Akamaru's back. "That makes walking out into the middle of a frozen lake in the dead of winter slightly less stupid."

"That is a ridiculous comment," Shino scoffed. "Why? Because it is in the dead of winter that a frozen lake would be the most solid. Also, if we are to accurately compare the detonation sites as well as attempt to track the persons responsible, we shall need all of the information available. And you know as well as I do that the ice is thick enough to support all of our weight several times over, despite having fractured and refrozen."

Kiba glared at his teammate, and opened his mouth to issue a scathing retort.

"I'm sure it is fine, Kiba-kun," Hinata soothed her teammate. "Akamaru would let us know if the ice was weak," she ran a gentle hand over the dog's head. The large animal nudged her affectionately, and Kiba was temporarily placated.

"What did you find?" Neji asked.

"Just as you said," Kiba affirmed as he scratched Akamaru behind the ears. "We tracked all along the lake, and there is no sign of anyone or anything until you get to the far side. Whoever set this trap did it to keep anyone from following after them by using the lake. Probably assumed that anyone who went the long way around would've been too delayed by the storm to catch up to them, and not dumb enough to risk it."

"They'd have been right," Jun said wryly. "Not that we would have taken off after them with a caravan of kids." He looked over to Neji. "I scouted ahead earlier today. I found where they discarded a few of our supplies that they didn't need. We may have a way to track them, though."

Jun turned to Kiba and Shino.

"Both of you can track by smell, right?"

"Technically, my insects-"

"Yeah," Kiba cut off his teammate. "Whatcha got?"

"They mostly stole food, gear, and a couple of remedies. They also took some of my hunting and trapping supplies. Looks like they broke one of them." He unwrapped a small, cracked vial, and held it up for inspection.

Kiba's face instantly turned green and he clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Ugh," his groan was muffled under his hand. "Please tell me that isn't what I think it is."

"Sorry," Jun chuckled. "But it is _exactly_ what you think it is."

"Okay, then please tell me that isn't what you want us to track." Kiba grimaced.

"Sorry," Jun shrugged unapologetically, "but it is our best shot. This is very concentrated, and once it makes contact with skin, it lingers. We dilute it when we use it; at this concentration, anything that came into contact with it would still hold the scent. Even on skin, it would stay at least two weeks."

"I am not certain that matters," Shino intoned. "Why, you ask? It is because it has been much longer than two weeks."

"Skin –alone- would hold the scent for a minimum of two weeks," Jun corrected. "Clothing and other porous materials could hold traces of this for months."

Kiba groaned again.

"What is it, exactly," Neji asked, curious.

"Deer piss," Kiba said bluntly. "Mixed with female pheromones and a couple of other really ripe ingredients. Masks the scent of hunters, but brings the bucks out."

"I wouldn't normally have had it with me," Jun explained, "but that storm came early in the season, and when I left from home to travel to Dai's village, it was still a good time to hunt. If the people we are tracking got this on them," he continued with a twinkle in his eye, "then I guarantee their journey was slowed down significantly after the storm. At that concentrated of a level, every buck in the area will find them."

"Or anything that wants to eat a doe," Kiba scowled.

"Then it sounds like you have a plan," Neji said smoothly.

"We'll be in range of my village well before nightfall," Jun eyed the sun's position in the sky. "We'll rest up and re-stock everything there. I hear that your team was sent directly from another mission, and that you traveled with very little rest," he looked back to Kiba, Shino, and Hinata, "We'll take the opportunity to get back to the village early, and let you recharge tonight. After that, I'll stay with your team until we reach the last village attacked, and the nearest mines."

"That's a nice way of saying 'I'll keep you guys company while you follow a trail of piss-soaked missing nin.'" Kiba snorted.

"I'm still a seasoned tracker," Jun said easily. "I'll be doing more than just keeping you company."

"Jun is also the only one in the group that got a clear look at what their assailants looked like," Neji pointed out. "His help and familiarity with this region will be invaluable to you. The three of you gather up your supplies and prepare to depart. I need to speak with Lady Hinata."

The three men complied with no objection, and only minimal grumbling from Kiba.

When Neji turned back to his cousin, there was a small smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

Hinata stifled her chuckle. "Kiba will do a good job," she assured Neji.

"I'm sure," Neji shrugged. "There is a reason that your team gets called out for these specialty missions."

Hinata colored prettily at her cousin's praise – for that was indeed what it was, however subtly it was given.

"Stay on your guard," Neji warned her. "We have reason to believe that the missing nin that attacked Jun and his family were actually working for Takayuki."

"I heard," Hinata said, her expression serious. "How did you make the connection?"

"Tenten was studying those tags some more," Neji explained. "It didn't make sense to either of us that whoever attacked Rin and Ren's party would go to all of that trouble just to keep Jun and his brothers from chasing after them. Like Jun said; they could hardly have risked a lengthy pursuit with the storm coming and their children in tow. The missing nin must have been running from something else, or trying to evade capture for other reasons. Shikamaru agreed with our theory."

"Still seems like a very large jutsu to cast," Hinata said doubtfully.

"She figured that out, too," Neji agreed. "Those tags were made ahead of time and made as a series. They were designed to be set quickly and over a large area to create a controlled series of explosions. The tags themselves actually transfer a detonation point to the surface, and then also act as a seal to contain the explosions. By removing the tags, we not only disrupted the order of the triggers, but also destabilized the detonation process. It is unlikely that the people escaping meant for the trap to be as deadly as it became."

"Interesting," Hinata mused. "Where is the connection to Takayuki?"

"Mining," he said, eyes scanning the horizon. "Takayuki owns a number of mines that appear to be legitimately run, at least on paper. However, his employment records are inconsistent. It is likely that he is behind these village raids, and that he is kidnapping and using the villagers to work his mines."

"The jutsu used here?" he tapped a foot on the ice. "That was an excavating jutsu that originated in the mines of the Land of Iron. That is what finally tipped Tenten and Shikamaru off that this might not have been a trap, in the truest sense. If the missing nin had really wanted that jutsu to function as a trap, they would have set it differently."

"And if… when we find them?" Hinata asked.

"Observe and report. We need to determine if and how they are linked to Takayuki. If they make contact with him, do not approach. Shino will tag them once you get close enough, and we will track them from there. Do not make contact if it can be at all avoided."

"Understood," Hinata gave a brief nod.

"Jun will secure another guide for you once he can travel no further," Neji continued. "I'd expect another delegation from Konoha will also meet you at that point."

"Is there another team assigned?" Hinata asked.

"No," Neji shook his head. "But by then Naruto will have finished his mission to Suna, and I'd be very surprised if he didn't come looking for you."

Hinata flushed lightly, probably because she couldn't counter his argument. Her fiancé was very single-minded when it came to ensuring her safety.

"And Tenten," Hinata asked, clearing her throat (and changing the subject). "Is she well?"

"To the best of my knowledge," Neji reported. "She is in the final stages of preparing for this mission and establishing her cover. I understand her training is going well."

"Shikamaru told me about her cover," Hinata said slowly. "We had some old scrolls about the onna-bugeisha in our clan archives. My mother told me some stories about them when I was very young."

"Oh?" Neji's eyebrows raised with genuine surprise. "I had not really heard of them before this mission."

"I'm not surprised," Hinata half smiled. "I don't think most of the clan remembered the old stories." She flicked her gaze over her cousin. "Did she tell you about the techniques she was learning?"

"I was part of her training until I left," he said simply.

"And… she is learning to use the iron tessen?"

"Yes," he half smirked at the memory. "It is an intricate technique. She has taken to it well."

The way his cousin held his gaze, as if waiting to ask or be asked something, gave him pause.

"Hinata?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "Is something wrong?"

"No…sorry," Hinata said, flushing. "I was just trying to remember if…I mean, I thought I had read-" she shook her head quickly before giving her cousin a smile. "Nevermind. It is not important." A cloud shifted, and the winter sun fell brightly on them. She looked up to the skies, as if listening for a voice in the distance. "We should track in the daylight while we can," she murmured. "The storm will have erased large parts of the trail. I'm sure they were counting on that."

"Agreed. But they weren't counting on Team Kurenai," Neji's grin was wicked. "Or taking a bath in Jun's hunting supplies."

"Oi, Hinata!" Kiba called over to them. "Let's get this over with!"

"Coming!" she waved. She looked up at her older cousin fondly, all traces of tension gone. "Good luck on your mission, Neji. And good luck to Tenten, too."

"Thank you," he inclined his head. "Remember what I told you. Stay safe, and undetected. We don't know much about Takayuki, but everything we are learning paints him as a threat."

"We'll find them," Hinata assured him with that quiet confidence that still sometimes caught him by surprise. "We'll report to Shikamaru as soon as we've found out anything."

With that, Neji and Team Kurenai parted ways; Neji to the north and Mifune's fortress, and Team Kurenai to the East, and Jun's village, with a side journey of tracking some rather pungently scented missing nin.

Neji definitely counted himself as the luckier of the parties.

* * *

The journey to Mifune's stronghold was shorter this time, and the weather cooperated beautifully. When he was only a few hours from arrival, Neji was intercepted by a small band of Konoha nin, lead by Shikamaru. He joined them for a meal at a small inn, and arranged to stay the night and leave with them in the morning.

When he rose early the next morning, he was mildly surprised to find Shikamaru sipping a cup of tea while idly studying the arrangement of pieces on a shogi board.

He looked up at Neji, lazily.

"I thought you'd be up early," he yawned broadly, "so I figured I'd better meet you now. Less chance of eavesdroppers."

A quick scan with Neji's Byakugan confirmed that only they and the woman in the kitchen were awake. She was clearly doing what she needed to get her kitchen up and running for the day, and would have no time to listen in on anything they said.

Shikamaru nodded to the tray of tea, so Neji poured himself one, and took the opponent's seat across from him.

"What is the final decision on the strategy?" Neji asked.

Shikamaru gave a half snort. "And here I thought I'd have to wade through polite pleasantries because you are a Hyūga. Thank goodness; it's too early for that kind of nonsense," he muttered into his cup before taking a long sip of the steaming liquid. "Tenten is already on her way," he placed a tile on the board. "It has been decided that 'Lady Tomoe' will arrive at the citadel as if having traveled alone. Depending on how Takayuki takes this report and the ones that follow, we will implement the next arm of the infiltration. There has been discussion that neither tradition nor protocol would sanction the General allowing a recently arrived Lady Tomoe to leave without an escort. It would be taken as a lack of good faith and hospitality from the samurai."

Neji suppressed a grimace.

"So I am to accompany in the guise of a samurai?"

"Possibly," Shikamaru shrugged. "Our next set of intel will let us know if it makes more sense to have you maintain your place in the shadows or to actually take on a cover and be visible."

"What about at the citadel?" Neji asked.

"You will travel with my party as part of the Konoha delegation for this month's meeting," Shikamaru idly swirled the tea in his cup, "Upon arrival, we will report directly to the General. Once Tenten has arrived, you can resume your cover as a guard assigned to Lady Tomoe. Mifune intends to formally introduce her to the council, but not right away."

Neji arched an eyebrow. "Wasn't part of the goal to immediately begin building her reputation by introducing her to the Council?"

"The Council won't need a formal introduction to catch their interest," Shikamaru said dryly. "By sundown, there will be reports that the tradition of the onna-bugeisha has returned to the Land of Iron. I fully expect you will both be in the field and on assignment within two weeks."

Neji glanced up at the sky. "We will easily make it to the citadel before midday."

"We are expecting Tenten mid-to-late afternoon," Shikamaru sipped his tea. "Many of the delegates will have arrived, but no meetings will have started. There will be plenty of people to witness her arrival."

Neji considered this. "We haven't been visible for a good while," he said, thinking, "but neither of us are completely unrecognizable. Will anyone at the council know her?"

"Temari already knows what is happening," Shikamaru sighed, bored. "It was troublesome, but the key people that need to know have been filled in. And as for being recognized, I doubt that Tenten will have that problem. Takeko has seen to that." He finished his tea and stood lazily, before Neji could ask any more questions. "We'll meet with the General before dinner – just those of us who are informed of the plan. If it hasn't before then, your cover will resume after that meeting. Both of you will be assigned to the same quarters as last time."

Neji would have asked more questions, but they were out of time for conversation. The small woman running the inn shuffled over with some breakfast as other guests began to filter in. Their group was ready for travel in short order, and despite his reputation for being lazy, Shikamaru wasted no time getting his team to the citadel. Neji suspected it had to do with Shikamaru's unvoiced eagerness to see a certain Suna kunoichi, but thought it wise not to mention.

* * *

Shikamaru had been right; there were more than enough people to allow Neji to go unnoticed. As the other delegates mingled, Neji was quietly summoned by Urakaku. He managed to slip away, undetected, and follow the senior man to the General's office.

Mifune offered him a small, but genuine smile. "Good to have you back," he greeted Neji. "I think it is best if you join my ranks today," he said, steepling his fingers. "Urakaku will take you to your quarters so that you may prepare. Report back in twenty minutes."

And that was how Neji found himself back in his room, face to face with a pile of uncomfortable armor. With a suppressed sigh, he begrudgingly exchanged his standard attire and identity to that of a nameless, faceless member of Mifune's phalanx.

Shortly after he rejoined Mifune, one of the guards brought the news of a stranger arriving on horseback and asking to be brought to the General.

"Who is this person?" Mifune asked. "Is it one of the delegates?"

"No, sir," the man's voice echoed slightly behind the mask of his helmet. "She asked that I give you this," he handed the General a scroll.

Mifune scanned the contents before handing the scroll to Urakaku.

"Very well. You may escort her in. Have one of the men see to her horse."

"Yes, sir," the man bowed, and disappeared to carry out the General's orders.

For once, Neji was glad of the armor which hid even the most incredulous or smug of expressions, as he was certain he couldn't have kept either of them off of his face.

The General directed the guards to bring the visitor to one of the larger, open chambers of the fortress. Not-so-coincidentally, that was also where many of the delegates were congregated, socializing and catching up with one another.

The arrival of the General and his men went largely unnoticed. Shikamaru made light conversation with Mifune until the guards arrived. The entrance the three armored soldiers escorting an obvious newcomer to stand before the General, however, caught everyone's attention.

The conversation in the room died from a hive-buzz, to the banked stillness of anticipation.

The new arrival was a woman.

She walked confidently in her armor, but it was not the heavy, monochromatic metal of Mifune's soldiers. Her armor was of a much more ancient style, alternating between laquered metal and leather, and richly colored and ornamented. Her kabuto helmet was tucked in the crook of her arm, and it was clear to even the most casual observer that her armor was formal to the point of ceremonial.

Neji blinked behind his mask.

No wonder Shikamaru had not worried about her being recognized.

He had known Tenten since the Academy, and he was not certain he would have immediately recognized her, based on her appearance alone.

Her posture was proud to the point of regal, and her expression was confident, bordering on haughty.

In what he was certain had been a begrudging concession on her part, Tenten's hair had been parted in the middle, and swept up on the sides, to wind into a large knot at the back of her head. One of the guards behind her carried a pair of swords, a dagger, and a folded fan – all clearly weapons that she voluntarily surrendered.

A low hum wound through the room, as the guards stopped, and the new arrival took several more paces to bow deeply before the general. She remained silent and in that position until the General cleared his throat.

He was re-reading the scroll, occasionally glancing at her assesingly.

To his credit, General Mifune seemed appropriately impressed with whatever documentation she had provided for him. Neji wondered what her final paperwork said, as it had still been a matter for discussion when he left to travel back to Dai's village and the lake.

"Stand," he said, handing the scroll back to Urakaku.

She rose, and stood as a soldier awaiting orders from her General.

"So," The General looked over. "The rumors were true. The training of the onna-bugeisha has resumed."

"Forgive me, but it never fully stopped, General," she answered politely. "What remained of our clan traveled to the West, where we maintained our traditions as best we could."

"I know of the Nakano clan," Mifune said, crossing his arms. "Your documentation states that you are the last of their line."

A buzz zipped through the hall. Neji frowned under his mask. He had not heard of the Nakano clan, but it appeared the name was recognized here in the Land of Iron. Perhaps Mifune and the others had been planting seeds of gossip during his time away.

Tenten gave a respectful inclination of her head. "That is so, General. Only my shishou and I remain."

"And what is your purpose in coming here?" he asked.

"My Lady has decided it is time to rejoin the samurai. She entrusted me to revive the legacy of the onna-bugeisha, and to serve the Land of Iron under your direction as best you see fit."

"It has been many years since the onna-bugeisha trained here," he said slowly. "I think, perhaps, your shishou is correct – it is high time that the tradition be reinstated. What is your name?"

"Nakano Tomoe, General."

"Then, Lady Tomoe," Mifune offered a bow to her, "Welcome home."

"Thank you, General," she bowed in return.

Hidden by his armor, Neji swept a gaze across the room, taking in the perfect picture.

The room full of spectators, fully aware that they had just witnessed a historical moment, were beginning to whisper to one another, even as they tried to stay quiet.

"Come," Mifune swept an arm toward the door behind him. "We have much to discuss."

Tenten joined the General, who motioned the three escort guards to move ahead of them. Urakaku and Okisuke followed the General and Tenten, leaving Neji to bring up the rear.

He took one last glance at the room of delegates, their conversation now an excited buzz as they all discussed what they had just witnessed.

" _And this_ ," he thought, turning to follow the others, " _is how legends are born._ "

 

* * *

 


	12. Chapter 12

__

* * *

**Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

The news came a week later.

Neji, Tenten, General Mifune, Lady Takeko, Temari, and Shikamaru were seated around the table, reviewing the latest reports as well as the information Shikamaru received that morning.

Shikamaru caught Neji's eye, and the men shared a knowing, silent exchange.

Professionally, the men had worked together many times over the last four years, and each had a healthy respect for the other's abilities. That respect also extended to their respective kunoichi, who, despite their rocky introduction, had fostered a strong friendship.

In fact, Shikamaru and Temari had joined Neji and Tenten for dinner in their quarters several times during the week. Without the burden of maintaining a cover, Temari and Tenten drifted into their own conversations, allowing Neji and Shikamaru to have multiple discussions about the mission, their suspicions, and concerns.

Neji reflexively flicked a glance over the two Kunoichi.

Temari's stoic expression gave away nothing of what she was thinking, but Neji knew that she was absorbing all of the information with a practiced eye and a keen intellect. She had a reputation for making rational, unemotional decisions and observations with a ruthless efficiency that was often misattributed to a lack of compassion. Experience had taught Neji that while she had grown up in the harsher lands of Suna and had learned about making hard decisions early on in life, she was far from without compassion. He knew that she was concerned about her friend on this mission, no matter what her attitude might indicate the contrary.

Lady Takeko had forbidden Tenten from fidgeting with weaponry or gnawing on her lip, so she had taken to subtly pulling the inside of her cheek between her teeth. She reflexively began to weave a pencil through her fingers, as she would have done with a senbon, but after a few seconds, she caught herself and put it down.

Neji returned his attention to his own file. Looking over the latest intelligence reports he was, once again, especially grateful that Shikamaru was involved in this mission.

The task of building and propagating the reputation of a fictional onna-bugeisha had been a surprisingly complicated and very fluid process.

For instance, Lady Takeko's role was initially intended to be that of an advisor and an observer. However, there had been enough interest in the last of the Nakano Clan, that she and Mifune decided it would be advantageous for her to be visually present as well. Thus, Lady Takeko 'arrived' four days after Lady Tomoe, under the pretense that the General had invited her to join them.

Both women made casual, but critical appearances, piquing the interest of everyone in the citadel. Even the citadel barracks buzzed with discussions of Lady Tomoe and the return of the onna-bugesisha.

During the day, Lady Tomoe was often seen at a distance, sometimes with Lady Takeko, sometimes without, but almost always escorted by one of Mifune's men. At night, Tenten and Neji gratefully returned to their quarters, away from the eyes and ears of the citadel.

The General waited five days before formally introducing Lady Takeko and Lady Tomoe to the council, stating that he had deferred to the pressing needs of the council over the lesser interests of his own community.

He gave a very brief explanation and history of the onna-bugeisha to an information-hungry audience, and reiterated his pleasure that such training and traditions could resume. He invited any interested delegates to come to a demonstration later that afternoon.

Everyone in the citadel attended.

Lady Takeko stood by the General and watched as 'Lady Tomoe' executed the demonstration that she had personally laid out and approved. Takeko had been adamant about what techniques would have to be shown, and structured everything accordingly. Tenten carried her new shishou's instructions out with flawless execution.

Tenten may have arrived at the citadel in full ceremonial armor, but since then, she had only been seen in simple kimonos, or, occasionally, training gear. She had been aloof both in her manner, and her distance from the delegates.

However, there was nothing demure or reserved about the warrior in the training arena. Even without donning her armor, she cut a regal and imposing figure as she moved through several spars, exercises, and katas.

Neji was certain that they couldn't have planned it better.

For the last two days, the entire citadel had been buzzing about that demonstration – even more so as Lady Tomoe was nearly impossible to intercept.

Now all they needed was for that gossip to get into the right hands.

"It appears that your instincts were correct," The General said, looking up from his report to Tenten and then Shikamaru. "The team sent from Konoha found another attacked village. There were traces of the missing nin not only there, but at a mining facility we know is owned by Takayuki."

"It's a shame that isn't enough to arrest him," Tenten said, studying the pictures in her file.

"True. But it _is_ enough to give us more ideas where to look and how to stop him," Shikamaru countered. "It appears those men were scouting the local villages to help Takayuki find more workers. The network of villages was too strong in that area for their normal tactics to work. They target smaller, more isolated villages that aren't often trafficked, or whose border patrols do not communicate with those of the other villages. The one attacked had been cut off by the storms."

"Clever," Neji mused. "And Team Kurenai is still keeping them under surveillance?"

"For now," Shikamaru nodded. "The goal is to watch and wait for Takayuki to make the first move. We are gradually gaining an understanding of Takayuki's organization."

"But another village attacked," Tenten sighed. "And no trace of any of the residents…"

"It is disconcerting how thorough this group is," Neji shuffled through several photographs. "Were they able to track anything relating to the villagers?"

"Not after the fact," Shikamaru shook his head. "Kiba thinks they used some kind of compound or jutsu to mask the scents in the area. It wasn't until several kilometers out he was able to pick up on the scent of the missing nin again." He smirked. "Guess their jutsus didn't account for Jun's hunting supplies."

"Still," Temari drummed a finger on her file. "For all of the concealment of his suspected activities, it is interesting that Takayuki himself has been out in the public eye more lately. Definitely not keeping a low profile."

"He is getting cocky," Neji said, flipping through his file. "If he is arrogant enough, he'll slip up eventually."

"He's not so cocky that he hasn't beefed up his own security," Tenten said wryly, handing Neji a picture. It was black and white, and showed Takayuki walking through a city laughing with several men. It was the positioning of others around him that caught Neji's eye. Shikamaru had circled the faces of at least five known associates hidden in the crowd, and three suspected associates.

Neji furrowed his brow. "Are we certain that infiltration is still the most prudent course of action?" he asked, looking between the General and Shikamaru.

"We are," the General said, almost apologetically.

"Then perhaps," Neji flicked a glance to Tenten, "we should both be infiltrating. Tenten as Lady Tomoe, and myself as her guard."

"We have discussed that," the General motioned to Lady Takeko, Shikamaru, and himself. "At this rate, the only sure way of getting the information we need is to be a part of Takayuki's inner circle. The only way to get there is by invitation. We suspect Takayuki will reach out to contact Lady Tomoe. It is likely he will invite her to his large, and heavily guarded home. Naturally, it could be insisted that she be accompanied by one of my men," he spread his hands, "but that person might be under strict surveillance, limiting their movements."

"Your Byakugan allows you to watch from a distance," Shikamaru sighed. "That is where you are needed. If Takayuki's men close ranks, there is no guarantee anyone will be able to provide backup, and we need to send as few people as possible. If you are on the outside you can report back, or request reinforcements."

"And leave Tenten behind?" Neji scoffed at the notion.

"If it comes to that," Tenten said seriously, "then you have to. I can handle myself."

Neji turned sharp, stern eyes to her, his jaw set in a hard, disapproving line.

"If they close ranks," Tenten continued before he could speak, "then chances are, they detected an _outside_ threat. As long as I maintain my cover, I should be fine. In fact, if they felt threatened, they might make a move to secure some of their illegal assets." She looked to the others at the table. "Something like that could actually benefit us."

Neji shook his head. "Not a good scenario," he said darkly. "There are too many variables in it for my liking."

"Think of it as multiple if/then contingencies," she teased. "You love those." She flipped over a few pictures, thoughtfully.

"Why are we waiting?" she asked, looking to each person around the table. "The approaching winter isn't going to make anything any easier, right? The weather might make it harder for Takayuki to annex more workers, meaning he might wait until spring to resume activity. If we wait too long, we might miss a window of opportunity to catch him."

"What are you thinking?" Temari asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Both Lady Takeko and I have had multiple offers from delegates to come and visit their territories. The onna-bugeisha were not only once an important part of the samurai forces, but of this region in general. Why not take advantage of that?"

"How so?" Shikamaru asked carefully.

"Use the excuse to have the General show Tomoe around so as to acquaint her with the area and its people." Tenten said with a cunning smile. "The return of the onna-bugeisha has created quite a stir among people who didn't know they existed before this week. Imagine the response from those that feel it is part of their history!"

"That is a fair point," Temari said slowly. "This Takayuki character will definitely make a point to intercept the party. He has a documented fascination with the samurai culture," she tapped a finger on her file. "Seems silly to create bait and then not set the trap."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, "but if we arrange a tour of the area, we could also have people in place to scout the regions where the group travels. There will be less suspicion that way."

"Exactly," Tenten warmed to her subject. "We have to press what little advantage we have – and at the moment, our only real advantage is having something that Takayuki is interested in."

"You mean you," Neji said flatly.

"I mean Lady Tomoe," Tenten corrected, "and a connection to the Samurai." She shook her head. "It isn't a large enough advantage to wait or risk him losing interest. The sooner we get someone inside, the better."

Neji wasn't sure what he hated more. This insane idea, or the part where he couldn't fault her logic.

From the look Shikamaru gave him, he was certain the strategist had come to the same conclusion.

"You're right," the strategist sighed. He looked over to Mifune. "General?"

"I agree," he said sagely. "The delegates will be leaving the citadel soon; we need to have information to go with them."

"And arrangements made with some of them," Temari added. "That will lend authenticity to this tour idea of yours."

Neji only half listened as Lady Takeko and Tenten provided the list of delegates that had approached them, while Shikamaru and Mifune consulted the large map, determining which delegates they should consider approaching.

By the time the meeting was over, Neji was hungry, agitated, and wishing he could go into the woods and meditate for a few hours or weeks.

"Meet me in the morning," Temari said to Tenten when the meeting was over. "We'll spar."

Tenten grinned. "Absolutely."

"And you," Temari turned to Neji with a spark of mischief in her eyes. "No more henging your armor. There are some delegates very adept at seeing through those kinds of techniques, and you don't want to blow your cover before you've even adopted it."

Neji glowered at Temari.

"Please," she waved both him and his annoyance away. "I grew up with a possessed Gaara; your glower needs work. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to talk to Lady Tomoe, here," she linked her arm through Tenten's and pulled her to the side.

A sense of foreboding snaked along Neji's spine, and he narrowed his eyes to watch them both.

"Neji," General Mifune turned to him. "Good work today. You are dismissed. Don't worry," he looked over to Tenten, "Urakaku will escort Lady Tomoe back to her quarters."

Neji swallowed his annoyance and gave a stiff bow. He gathered his belongings and began to reseal his documents.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Shikamaru said in a low voice. "Other than that…?" he offered a 'sorry, bro' shrug, and lazily packed his things away.

"Understood," Neji sighed.

"I almost forgot," Shikamaru reached into his satchel. "Kō asked that I pass this along to you. Said it was some clan documents."

"Thanks," he took the scroll – for the Hyūga still used the old systems of communication – and put it away. It wasn't unusual for his cousin to try and keep him in the loop on clan matters, so she must have tasked Kō with keeping him informed while she was gone. "It will be nice to have something different to read over tonight."

Shikamaru gave a small amused snort. Both men knew that what he meant was that even dull or tedious clan reports were more enjoyable to read than their current mission file.

"Have fun," the strategist drawled. "Maybe if you are lucky, Gai will send a scroll next time. You look like you could use a youthful report."

"One can only hope."

* * *

It took Tenten longer to return than he had anticipated.

"Sorry," she apologized, glancing at the dinner he had yet to eat. "Lady Takeko needed to speak with me."

He shrugged. "It just arrived. Go change."

Tenten's face lit up at that prospect, and she hurried to switch into more comfortable clothing. Their conversation was light, if not a bit distracted, but the food was good.

The dinner dishes had already been cleared and passed on to the porter when Neji put the kettle on for tea. It whistled in the small kitchen area of their suite, and Tenten sprang up to retrieve it. Neji watched, something suddenly and subtly tight in his chest. He disliked their current proposed course of action, and was discomfited by the multiple unknowns in the equation.

She returned, put the tray down carefully, and handed him the first cup of tea she poured.

"Thank you," he murmured.

"You are welcome," she returned, preparing her own tea.

"So, we have a rough route planned," Tenten offered, sitting at the other end of the couch.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she wrapped her hands around the warmth of the ceramic. "Lady Takeko and General Mifune worked it out. Shikamaru will go over it in the morning, and we'll work on finalizing it. I don't think we will have to wait long for Takayuki to make himself known to us."

Neji couldn't disagree. He quietly sipped his tea while his teammate looked him over with a calculating eye.

"This last meeting shook you up a little, didn't it?" she finally asked.

He looked up to meet her eyes.

They were quiet for several heartbeats

"Because it shook me up a little," she admitted. "It just makes it clear how much we don't really know about this person, or what to expect."

She waited out his controlled inhalation and exhalation.

"I don't like the numbers," he conceded.

"You don't like that they keep changing," she half smirked, and he gave a small, wry smile.

"That, too."

He put his cup down carefully.

"Tell me more about your training. I saw very little of you before you and Lady Takeko left, and your departure was a full week before mine," he ventured.

At the mention of Lady Takeko, Tenten's eyes reflexively flicked to the clock. She visibly relaxed before answering. "I don't think you would have found the majority of my training interesting," she said with a small laugh. "Mostly, it was a review on how I would be expected to act, and constructing the character of Lady Tomoe."

"Sounds riveting."

"Yeah. Fascinating," she agreed as she pulled a pillow onto her lap. "Luckily, it wasn't be nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Since the onna-bugeisha haven't been visible in a very long time, their customs aren't widely or specifically known. That allowed Shikamaru and Takeko and I to come up with some modifications more likely to attract Takayuki's attention, as well as to feed into his notion of what the onna-bugeisha would be like over what they were really like."

"Also," she smiled lopsidedly, "It is less to remember that way."

"Always good," Neji smirked into his tea.

Tenten playfully swatted his non-tea arm with her pillow before wrapping her arms around it and cradling it to her chest.

"There was still plenty to go over," she tucked her knees up and rested her chin on the pillow. "I'd rather work physical techniques any day. My favorite part was figuring out ways to functionally conceal weapons in the different kinds of outfits I am supposed to wear. Let me tell you," she shuddered, "that was a challenge in its own right."

Neji arched an eyebrow.

"How many outfits do you have?"

"Too many," she said flatly. "I can't possibly need them all. Then again, there's no telling what I'll need, so I was given a ton of them. The formal ones are a hybrid of really old styles, sort of old styles, and new styles. I really hope I don't have to wear the really old formal one. The amount of layers in that thing is ridiculous. Don't even get me started on the under-" " she cut herself off abruptly, pressing both hands to her mouth. "You didn't hear that," her voice was muffled behind her hands.

Neji couldn't help himself.

"So...what you are saying is, all of these outfits come with accompanying undergarments?"

Tenten shoved the pillow into her face and groaned. "Me and my big mouth." She peeked around the pillow. "What are the chances you'll forget I said anything?"

"Unlikely," he admitted.

"Unbelievable," she let her head flop back on the arm of the couch with a heavy sigh. "You remember all of the stuff that Ino got me? The things that were hanging in the back of my closet, which, by the way, could've stayed there because the likelihood of me wearing them ever was less than zero?"

Neji's expression remained unaltered, despite the sudden and sharp recollection of colorful satins and silks and lace and ribbon, followed by the unbidden and theoretical image of how they would look on his partner.

"Vaguely," he said coolly.

"Well some of these things makes those things look downright practical. Maybe even comfortable." Her mouth twisted and nose wrinkled like she had bitten into a piece of spoiled fruit. "At this rate, I'll never see my own undergarments ever again."

"Are you still on a restricted laundry list?" he asked, amusement thick in his voice.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Luckily Takeko maintains that as an onna-bugeisha, I'd generally still wear what I wore for training, and simple every-day undergarments. Still, even if they are similar to what I own, they aren't mine."

"Well, that is still an improvement, isn't it?" Neji asked.

"It's the principle of the thing," Tenten muttered.

"Then I suppose there is only one thing to do," Neji said thoughtfully, pouring another cup of tea.

"Yes?" she watched him warily.

"Timeclock starts as soon as we leave for the undercover mission," he said, sitting back. "You are formally restricted to whatever has been provided for you that meets Lady Takeko's restrictions. When the mission ends, so does the payoff for the bet."

"What's the catch," she asked, her expression guarded.

"No catch," he shrugged. "Seems to me that this is the only way we will ever resolve this fully. You adhere to the restrictions set forth for Lady Tomoe, and wear only the clothes - specifically undergarments - provided by Lady Takeko. At the end of the mission, presuming you have not broken any conditions, like purchasing new garments, everything is forgiven."

"What if Lady Takeko sends me more clothing?" she asked.

"In this instance it complies with the mission," Neji shrugged elegantly. "As long as you are not personally adding to the collection, it falls within the acceptable boundaries."

"Ok, what about Takayuki?" she pressed. "I guarantee he gives Lady Tomoe gifts, and clothing is not out of the question." she grimaced, "He's probably is the kind of creep that would send sexy lingerie to a girl in the hopes of seeing it in person."

Neji's brows drew together.

"Then I feel badly for Takayuki," he drawled, "if he is stupid enough to try to arrange a private viewing where there are no witnesses or mission partners to keep you from skewering him."

Tenten eyed Neji suspiciously.

"This almost sounds like a good deal," she said, clearly wondering where the loophole was.

"It is," he said stoically. "I am being most generous."

Tenten didn't look convinced. For a moment, they both sipped their tea, each weighing the offer. "Alright, Hyūga," she finally nodded, unfolding from her position on the couch, putting her empty cup on the table, and sitting up straight. "Guess I'm running out of options. I'll take your deal."

She extended a hand, and he put down his tea to shake it gravely.

"You know," she said, a glint in her eyes that instantly put Neji on his guard. She held his hand tightly, and he instantly wondered what she was up to. "We should have another bet. To keep things interesting."

"A glutton for punishment?" he asked, coolly.

"Quite the opposite," she returned. "You aren't scared, are you, Neji?"

"Hardly," he scoffed.

"Alright," she smirked. "Then I bet that before the end of this mission, you are going to be wearing a very youthful shade of green."

Neji frowned. "Is that the bet?" he asked, "Or the price of losing?"

"Both."

Neji arched an eyebrow, and put her words together. "Would this youthful shade only be available in spandex?"

Her grin widened, and she nodded.

"So the bet is whether or not I will wear the Team Gai outfit before the end of this mission?" he asked, clearly incredulous.

"Uh-huh."

The grin was positively wicked.

"That doesn't make sense," his frown deepened. "Why would I wear such a thing? There can be no call for it, especially in our current covers."

"Then, I guess you have nothing to lose by taking the bet," she shrugged.

"And what about you?" Neji asked.

"I'm betting that you'll look smashing - who knows, you might even grow to love wearing spandex."

"And if you lose?"

Tenten cocked her head to the side. "I won't."

"That isn't a proper bet, Tenten," Neji warned.

"If I am wrong," she considered, drumming her fingers on the inside of the wrist of the hand she was still holding, "then... Then I'll take the mission Kakashi has been hounding me to take in the village. You can do your clan thing, and for one month, I'll teach weaponry at the academy. And," she held up her free hand when he might have interrupted, "When I am not working, or it is otherwise dangerous to do so, I'll wear what ever Ino picks."

It was Neji's turn to look skeptical.

"One month," she continued. "From hair, to shoes, to accessories, to, well, hell, why not, the stuff sealed in that scroll. All of my off hours, I will only wear what Ino has picked out. No matter how ridiculous."

Neji had seen some of the outfits Ino tried to convince Tenten to wear, and was sorely tempted.

"Now I'm wondering what the catch is," he said.

"The bet is just as I said," she said. "I bet you will be wearing green spandex before the end of the mission. If I win, you wear green spandex. If I lose, we go back to Konoha, and I have a month of kiddie patrol, and Ino dress-up."

Neji turned the proposition over and over in his mind, and could find no downside. Knowing Tenten, he supposed that should have made him cautious... but instead, he re-shook the hand still firmly in his own.

"I accept."

The brilliant smile that broke across Tenten's face was just triumphant enough to confirm his sense of trepidation. However, it had also been a very long time since he had seen that particular one of her smiles. He thought maybe - just maybe - whatever she no doubt had planned was worth seeing that smile again.

On the other hand, he knew that particular glint in her eyes.

"Well at least there is something to look forward to on this mission," she reached for her tea and sat back into the crook of the couch. "Things were starting to get boring around here."

"I've been your teammate for over a decade," Neji said, reaching for his own still steaming mug. "If there is one thing I can say without hesitation, it is that things are never boring with you around, Tenten."

"Why, Neji," her grin was slow. "That might be the most youthful thing you've ever said to me."

He snorted lightly, and she burst into laughter...  
...and all was right with his world.

* * *

 


	13. Chapter 13

 

* * *

**Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

Neji decided that once this mission was over, he was going to institute a clause into all of his contracts.

"Shinobi will not wear armor of any kind."

He shifted his weight as best he could, given the uncomfortable constraints of the Samurai armor.

He kept his posture erect and forward, and anyone passing the private dining room hurried to escape the red-eyed glare of his helmet.

But Neji wasn't really concentrating on what was in front of him.

He was using his Byakugan to monitor the dinner guests inside of the private dining room, as well as the surroundings.

True to the predictions, Takayuki had reached out to the General the moment he had heard of his travels. Officially, the invitation to visit came from the village elder, but the messenger came from Takayuki. The guides that met them a day's journey from the city had been sent by Takayuki. The dinner served at their arrival had been arranged by the village, but it was rumored that Takayuki had a large hand in its planning and financing.

They had only been in the area for three days, but the man had managed to find his way into the company of General Mifune and Lady Tomoe with startling regularity, even accompanying them on their small day-trips to smaller, surrounding villages.

Tonight's dinner was arranged by him, and included the village elders and several of the prominent local leaders. Their conversation echoed in Neji's earpiece.

"Please," Takayuki was appealing to both the General and Lady Tomoe. "Please allow me to offer my home for you both for the remainder of your stay in this region. It would be an honor to host two such illustrious guests."

If he had been the kind to roll his eyes, Neji would probably require medical leave for severe eyestrain by now. As it was, his left eye was starting to twitch, ever so slightly.

"That is very generous of you, Takayuki-san," one of the elders said with barely masked surprise. "I know how you value your privacy."

Neji almost snorted at that, both because it was an understatement, and a sly barb on the part of the elder. Takayuki's family's main holdings were in this region, and the most lavish of his homes sat high on a hill overlooking the village. He rarely, if ever, had guests, and no one dared to trespass on his seclusion. From what Neji understood, the family had historically opened their extensive gardens to the public, and hosted local events. When Takayuki inherited the estate, he maintained the family tradition of giving generously to the community, but closed off the lands to everyone. He must truly be desperate to get to know Lady Tomoe, if he was taking these measures.

"It is nothing," Takayuki said, his gaze warm on Tenten. "In fact, this is cause for a celebration, is it not? It has been generations since either the Samurai or the Onna-bugeisha traveled this part of the country. We have a few fair days left," he flicked an eye to the skies outside of the window. "We shall hold a welcome in the Winter Garden."

"I would hate to see you go to any trouble," Lady Tomoe demurred, a slight frown upon her lips. "The General and I," she glanced to Mifune. "We do not wish to disrupt the village as it prepares for the oncoming winter."

"It would not be a trouble," he grinned charmingly. "It is part of an old custom in these parts. My mother oversaw the tradition from her first winter as a bride to her last winter as the matriarch. Since I lost her, I haven't had the heart to carry it on," he said with a cunningly crafted mix of melancholy and nostalgia. "It is high time that the tradition be rekindled, do you not agree?" Takayuki looked to the other city officials.

"I am sure the townspeople would be most grateful," one bowed his head respectfully.

"Then, may I consider it settled?" Takayuki turned to the visitors.

Tenten deferred to Mifune, who put on a great show of considering the request. "Thank you, Takayuki. We would be honored to accept your hospitality. We shall remain in our current lodgings tonight and tomorrow evening. Will that give you enough time to prepare?"

"More than enough," the man beamed. "I could be ready by tomorrow evening."

"That won't be necessary," The General said in a polite tone that brooked no opposition. "I am sure that you understand that the Lady Tomoe is under my direct care as entrusted by Lady Takeko. As such, her security is my responsibility. If it is convenient, I shall meet with you two days from now. I and a handful of my men will have to go over the security of the area."

"Of course," Takayuki agreed readily. "But please, in order for me to make sure the preparations are satisfactory in time, consider coming tomorrow. I shall then make any necessary adjustments, and when you return, if it is to your satisfaction, we shall be able to proceed without delay."

"That is amenable," Mifune said as one granting a favor rather than agreeing to a request. "Now, if you will forgive me," he stood, "I need to return Lady Tomoe to our lodgings."

"So soon?" Takayuki asked, clearly disappointed.

"I apologize," Tomoe said kindly, "but I train early in the mornings. I cannot neglect my duties."

"Of course not," he hurried to assure her. "I look forward to seeing you in two days, if not sooner," he said with a handsome smile.

"Until then," Tomoe bowed politely and accepted Mifune's arm to lead her from the room.

Neji waited for them to pass, and fell into step behind them.

They returned to their lodgings, which were in a large, comfortable inn at the heart of the city. The owner had been so eager to host them that he had turned over the entire top floor to their party.

The General led them all back to the room that had been turned into their makeshift command center. Urakaku and Okisuke looked up from the maps littered across the table and greeted them.

"Any news?" The general asked, crossing to the table.

"Reports of activity around Takayuki's home. We have seen more of his security in town, and occasionally shadowing yourself and Lady Tomoe."

"We saw them," Tenten said with an impish smile. "They stayed out of the way, though."

"Nothing else?" the General asked, and the men shook their heads. "Fine. Then, the two of you are released," he told Neji and Tenten. "We shall train in the morning. We already know his men are watching, so they will report back. I arranged for us to ride several miles out and practice archery, so we will be easily observed. Understood?"

"Yes, General," they chorused.

"Dismissed."

* * *

Even though they had eaten earlier, Neji had some food sent up for him and Tenten. To avoid any speculation of whose room was where, he waited at the top of the stairs with one of the carts left at their disposal. Several of the employees rushed up with trays of food and tea, carefully loading his cart, and wishing him and his fellow travelers a good meal. They scurried away, and he wheeled the food down the winding hall to his room. About five nanoseconds after closing and locking the door behind him, Neji discarded his armor with a relieved sigh. He stretched and rolled his neck and shoulders, glad to finally be free of the weight and confinement of the burdensome suit.

He unlocked and knocked on the door between their rooms.

Tenten had clearly been waiting for his signal, because he had barely lifted his hand from the thick wood of the door before she had wrenched it open and slipped past him.

"Make yourself at home," he said dryly as she happily raided the cart.

"Don't I always?" she quipped, divvying up the food.

"Hnph."

Neji took his seat across from her, and filled his own plate. They ate in contented silence for a few moments, each enjoying the simple pleasure of a good meal.

"This was a good idea," she sighed happily, sipping at the homemade soup. "I spend so much time keeping up Lady Tomoe's role on these missions that I don't really get to eat."

"You did well, though," Neji said, handing her a piece of bread. "No noticeable breaks in character."

Tenten sighed in relief. "Good. Takayuki is polite enough, I guess, but something about him just sets me on edge."

"Perhaps the part where we suspect he has captured and enslaved entire villages to work in his mines?" Neji suggested flatly.

"Well there is that," Tenten snorted, "but there is something more."

Neji watched her purse her lips as she considered this.

"It is how he looks at me," she decided with a shudder. "It's creepy." She stabbed at a dumpling in her soup. "Can't say I'm looking forward to staying in his home."

"Understandable," Neji sipped at his soup.

"I'd feel better if I knew we would be staying near to one another," she admitted. "Not sure I like the idea of being isolated."

"We will be watching over you," Neji reminded her.

"Oh, I know that," she said dismissively. "It's just this kind of cover is draining. I don't know what I would've done this whole time if we didn't have this," she waved a hand between them, "to help me re-center every evening."

"Probably turned your room into a target gallery," he muttered.

"That was _one_ time," she huffed. "And I was _bored._ "

"It was twice," he corrected, "and you were barely alone for three hours the first time."

"Yes, but the second time was with Naruto, so that shouldn't count," she countered. "Crazy things always happen when Naruto is a factor on a mission…or do you not remember our last mission together."

"Blocked it out mostly," he grumbled.

"I can't wait until him and Hinata are married," she grinned into her tea. "Your clan events are going to be so much more fun after that."

"For you, maybe," Neji snorted. "But you don't have to run damage control at those things."

"Are you kidding me?" she laughed. "Who do you think kept Lee and Gai in line for the last decade or so? Not that they come as often as they did," she added, "but our mission schedules have been different. Which makes me wonder," she said with an innocence that he did not trust, "will Naruto's teammates be invited to things now?"

That gave Neji pause. Would they? It would certainly be within the realm of possibilities. Thankfully, the teams didn't come to every clan event – just some of the more important ones.

"After all," Tenten warmed to her subject, "They are, essentially, Naruto's family. That's practically a free pass to every single event. Just think," she continued. "Sai trying to negotiate the social landmine that is every Hyūga event…" she sighed happily. "Beautiful."

Neji glowered at her, but she ignored it.

"Of course, Ino has been helping him, so it might not be so bad," Tenten added reluctantly. "And Sakura keeps them all in line, and Sasuke is usually out of the village... but still," her dimples peeked out impishly. "Won't that be fun?"

"Perhaps we should request an extension for this mission," he suggested.

"Oh? For how long?" Tenten asked, eyes dancing with mirth.

"Indefinitely."

* * *

The morning archery expedition had been well planned. Neji had spotted two of Takayuki's spies following them, and one left after it became clear that the General's party would be training in the same place for a while.

Twenty minutes later, Takayuki arrived on horseback as he 'just happened to be riding in the area that morning.'

"I hope we aren't disturbing you," Lady Tomoe said, putting an arrow back in her quiver. "We had thought we were far enough from the village to avoid a disruption."

"Not at all," Takayuki shook his head. "I like to ride in this area for the same reason. You will be quite undisturbed here."

"Join us," The General offered. "We have some spare equipment if you care to shoot."

Neji stifled a snort. 'Spare equipment?' Tenten had enough to arm a small army, and that was with just what she grabbed for this morning's exercise.

"I would be honored," Takayuki smiled. "I do shoot, a little," he offered humbly, dismounting to cross the cold, hard ground. This region hadn't seen the heavy snows yet, but the air held the promise of winter.

One of Mifune's soldiers set up another target, and 'Lady Tomoe' helped him select his quiver and bow.

Neji had to continually remind himself not to underestimate this opponent. Takayuki was cunning, and by all reports ruthless when crossed. The fact that he oozed false charm and was just a shade shy of obsequious did not change that, nor did his air of smug self-importance whenever the General or Tenten paid attention to him. No. He might be a greedy, delusional prig, but he was not a fool. Well. Not much of a fool.

The resounding chorus of arrows-piercing-targets interrupted his uncharitable assessment of the mining magnate.

Neji had to give the man a little credit. He was a decent shot, even if it was clear he was only a recreational archer. Mifune handled the bow with the stance and command of a seasoned warrior. Tenten used the weapon just like she did every other weapon in her arsenal; as an extension of self. Takayuki was competent, but Neji couldn't see him wielding bow and arrow practically.

He had heard the man make mention of swords in his home on more than one occasion. It would be in keeping with what they knew of him if he were a student of kenjutsu over archery.

Neji did a quick scan of the man's chakra network.

Clearly, he had not trained as a shinobi. Shinobi refined their physical bodies, but had to train their chakra systems to perform even the most basic of jutus. Even Lee, who did not use ninjutsu, had a more refined chakra network than most civilians.

He had trained, though – that was also apparent. He was not to be taken lightly.

It was just mid-morning when Tenten fired her last arrow.

"I believe we must return to the village, General," she said, gesturing to the intentionally emptied quiver. "We are to have dinner early this evening, and you still have your afternoon appointment."

"Thank you, Lady Tomoe, I believe you are correct." He turned to Takayuki. "Is it still convenient to arrive at your home early this afternoon? Thirteen hundred… forgive me. At one o'clock?"

Takayuki looked up to the climbing sun. "Certainly," he said quickly. "But you have been so kind to invite me to join you. Might I return the favor? We are not a long ride from my home. I would be honored to offer you a meal. Your men could join us when they are ready."

"I am afraid I shall have to decline," the General said, signaling two of his men to begin retrieving the targets. "I have several matters to attend to if I am to keep our appointment."

"I understand," he said with a clear note of disappointment in his voice.

"Lady Tomoe, however," the General turned to Tenten. "If you wish to proceed, I shall send one of my men to accompany you. When I arrive with several more for the security check, he can escort you back."

Neji wondered what the General was thinking, and fully expected his partner to decline.

"Thank you, General, I would appreciate that."

"Excellent!" Takayuki beamed, too pleased to contest the idea of an escort.

"Go with Lady Tomoe," The General instructed.

Neji began to step forward, but another soldier came forward and crossed to where Tenten was standing. She did not seem surprised by this – perhaps she didn't realize it was not him in that bulky armor. He narrowed his eyes. This person moved differently than Mifune's men.

Neji looked over to the General. "Would you like two of us to go, sir?"

"That won't be necessary," Mifune shook his head. "Lady Tomoe will be quite safe in Takayuki's company, I am sure."

"Absolutely," the man replied promptly from astride his horse. "I look forward to seeing you this afternoon, General." He turned to where Tenten and the other guard were now mounted on horseback. "Shall we, my Lady?"

"As you say," Tenten's tone was warmer than Neji had heard it. "…my lord."

They were well out of earshot before the General turned to Neji. "She is in good hands. Take a look for yourself."

Neji's Byakugan flared to life, and surprise displaced the annoyance of a moment before.

"Move out," the General called to his men, and lead the party of his soldiers and one very irritated Hyūga back to the village.

* * *

Neji accompanied the General to Takayuki's home. Mifune sent two of his men back to the inn with Tenten, but kept him on hand. While Mifune went on Takayuki's tour, Neji followed, scanning with his Byakugan. When both he and the new arrival to their party subtly signaled that they were done, Mifune declared the security check successful, and that they would join Takayuki in his home the next day.

Their party was silent on the way back, largely because of the men Takayuki insisted accompany them back to the inn.

Neji followed Mifune back to the temporary command center, still monitoring the departure of Takayuki's men.

Urakaku and Okisuke were busily consulting and comparing some documents, while Tenten was following and marking the coordinates on a large map.

She looked up as everyone walked back in the room, her eyes bright with excitement. She looked directly at Neji (who somehow she recognized even in armor) and said: "We've got news."

"Did Shikamaru verify his suspicions?" The other soldier removed his helmet to reveal a familiar face.

"Yes," Tenten beamed. "Thanks to the information you gave me earlier today, I was able to ask Takayuki a few innocuous questions that cleared some things up. You really came through today, Sai."

Neji also took off his helmet and turned to Sai. "You are joining the infiltration team?" he asked.

"In a sense. Technically, his assignment has officially been reclassified as a take-down mission." Sai said as Urakaku handed Neji a scroll. "I am to assist in the espionage angle of that mission."

Neji held his gaze a beat before repeating, "So you are joining the infiltration team?"

Sai blinked twice.

"Didn't I just say that?"

"Takayuki's home is large, and he has extensive lands surrounding it," Mifune interjected. "Shikamaru suggested adding Sai to the team, so as to map the area quickly. He is also tasked with Locating and copying any maps or records of holdings, mines, etc."

"So you will be staying with us while we are at Takayuki's?" Tenten asked, absently weaving a senbon through her fingers. Neji found her return to the idiosyncratic gesture to be oddly comforting after watching her in the guise of another character for so long. Sai, however, watched the weapon mistrustfully.

"Yes," he nodded. "I already used our time from this afternoon to release several of my ink spies. They will be in place for our arrival."

"Clever," Tenten drummed her fingers on the table. "That will certainly make things easier. What is the new timeline for this mission?"

"With luck? No more than two weeks. After that, the snow comes." Mifune motioned them over to consider the map. "Team Kurenai had a breakthrough, and was able to find and pinpoint multiple mining locations that had been obscured from detection. We know there are several more, and it would really help to know the players and security involved in each of the mines. We intend to infiltrate and take them all down simultaneously."

"Do we have enough people?" Neji asked.

"That is largely what we are waiting for," Mifune shook his head. "We need to get reinforcements in place so that we can coordinate a large scale attack."

"How did Team Kurenai finally locate the mines?" Tenten asked.

"Ah. That," Sai scratched his temple with his finger. "It turns out that my teammate is not very patient. When he heard what was keeping Hinata's team from returning, he went to her immediately. It turns out that Takayuki couldn't account for sage mode, and Naruto used a combination of that and clones to scour the area."

"That is another good ally to have on the ground," Tenten grinned. "Let me guess. He was driving Kakashi nuts, and he 'encouraged' Naruto to join the mission?"

"You are correct," Sai said with his strange smile. "And with the rest of my team and Hinata out of the village, he was most unbearable. Kakashi decided that Naruto would probably take off on his own anyway, so he assigned Naruto."

Tenten exchanged amused glances with Neji and shook her head. "Glad to see that some things never change. Well, at this point anything that can help us figure out these disappearances and what has happened to the villagers, is welcome." She turned to Sai. "It was good to have you with me today. I'm glad you're on board, Sai."

"Thank you," Sai said. "Does this mean you will not be throwing multiple projectiles at me?"

Tenten's grin was slow. "Depends on how well you mind your manners."

Sai nodded sagely, while Neji silently thought 'He's doomed.'

* * *

The next day was full of information pouring in from everywhere, and before he knew it, it was the last night in the hotel.

"I can't believe this might all be over in a couple of weeks," Tenten sighed, looking over the files she and Neji had spread around her room. "Looks like an awful lot to wrap up in that amount of time."

"Not really," Neji shrugged. "If all of the mines are simultaneously attacked and shut down, Takayuki will be severely handicapped. There will be a new mission after that, of course," he reasoned. "Returning the villagers to their homes, finding shelter for them, giving them medical attention, etc."

"Sai said that Sakura is trying to wrap up another mission quickly so that she can be on hand if needed to organize and direct a mini medical corps. Also," she added, "Team Kurenai will be around, so that means extra trackers and Naruto to round up survivors, or those in trouble." She half shrugged. "I almost feel like we aren't needed anymore."

"Our mission is far from over," Neji warned her. "We have no idea what we will encounter or uncover while at Takayuki's home."

"I know, I know," Tenten sighed, leaning back against the couch. "It just seems hard to believe that this mission could be over so quickly, considering how much time we have invested in it."

"Hm," Neji hummed in agreement as he shuffled through the photos one more time.

"You ever wonder, 'what next?'" Tenten asked, distractedly weaving something – Neji thought perhaps it was a pencil - between her fingers. "Mission to mission – and then where to? I mean eventually we have return to Konoha; you to your clan and me to my shop. And Lee to doing 5000 laps around Konoha on his hands and training to be a Jōnin instructor."

"I suppose," Neji conceded, putting down his empty cup. "But right now I am needed far more in the field than with the clan – you and I both. Our unit is active for a reason."

"Yeah, but for how long, Neji?" she wondered aloud. "Your duties can't wait for forever. You are the head of the branch family. You have people that depend on you."

"And the village depends on both of us," he countered. "I have a duty to Konoha as much as to my clan, if not more so."

"You know what I mean, Neji," she reached for the teapot and refilled his cup. "When we aren't there, someone else will take our missions. For that matter, anyone can run my shop. But you are the only one that can fulfill your duties to your clan, and carry out your dream to change the Hyūga. You and Hinata and Hanabi – you are making things right for your family and the village. They already abolished the caged bird seal," she pointed out, a note of pride in her voice. "And that is just the start. The three of you are going to lead the most powerful clan in Konoha – that makes you not just important to the family, but to the village. Eventually, Konoha will need you more at home than in the field."

"Konoha will need all of us," Neji said, growing unsettled with this conversation. "If Naruto taught us anything, it is that we need all of our allies to stand together."

"And many of those allies are out of the village," Tenten agreed. "More and more shinobi are crossing those borders to bring us all together. Konoha needs you on the inside. Maybe…" she handed him the mug. "Maybe I am needed on the outside."

"Outside?" he asked. "Outside of where?"

"The village," she warmed her own mug before settling into her seat. "We are still building ties. I am not particularly needed in Konoha, and I hear I might be asked to stay."

"Stay?" Neji paused, the mug halfway to his lips. The word was foreign and bitter on his tongue, and he repeated it as if it were in a language he could not comprehend. "Stay where?"

"In the Land of Iron," she replied. "There are no real ties between Konoha and here," she continued. "And I don't have any ties to the village, aside from my friends. No family, or clan obligations. By the time this mission is over, I'll be more familiar with this area than anyone back in Konoha, and there is work to be done here."

"There is work to be done in Konoha," Neji retorted coolly.

"I would be protecting Konoha," she explained patiently. "I can do more here than by selling weapons in a time of peace."

Neji held her gaze silently.

"Well, anyway," she airily changed the subject, "it isn't really something to worry about. I'm sure they'll have more for us to do after this mission. Just something I wonder about now and then."

"So," he said putting down his mug. "Yesterday, you taunt me with visions of Naruto invading my clan with Team Seven, and today threaten to abandon the village, leaving me to deal with that entire mess plus Gai and Lee, all alone?" He shook his head. "Some partner you are."

"Lighten up, Neji," Tenten chuckled. "There is no way I'd miss a chance to see Naruto in action. And just like Lee and Gai will always be our teammates, I'll always be your partner," she assured him. "It's just that things change, you know? We go where the village needs us."

Neji muttered some sound of begrudging agreement, and they settled into the comfortable silence of old friends.

He had barely realized he had reached the end of his tea, when Tenten held up the kettle with a questioning look. He gave a single nod, and held out his mug.

"I'm going to miss this," she smiled gently, taking the mug. "Feels like home. All we need is something green."

"You can always wear your Team Gai uniform," Neji offered.

"Oh, I think I'll leave that honor to you," she grinned mischievously.

"Not going to happen," Neji folded his arms and shook his head.

"Never say 'never,' Hyūga," her grin widened, handing him his tea.

Neji leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "Never, Tenten."

"Tempting the fates?" she asked, leaning forward until she was inches from his face. "Brave, but foolish," she whispered.

"You know me," he deadpanned. "I like to live dangerously."

"You're a regular rebel," she grinned.

Neji tsked his amusement, and they went back to work, with no more talk of future missions, or potential reassignments.

But it was still on Neji's mind, even as he drifted to sleep that night.

With any luck this mission would end quickly, they'd get their next assignment – preferably in the village so Tenten could serve out the condition of their latest bet - and there would be no more ridiculous talk of her living anywhere other than Konoha.

* * *

 


	14. Chapter 14

 

* * *

**Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

If Neji had thought Takayuki to be annoying before, he now considered the man to be insufferable.

"You have a great many comforts in your home," Tenten demurred politely.

"The recent population boom and technological explosion has been good to us," Takayuki said with a poor attempt at humility. "We mine building materials and metals, naturally, but circuitry also requires some of our wares." He chuckled. "It is a very good time to be in the mining business."

"Truly fascinating," she continued. "You must have a very tightly run organization to meet with such high demands."

"It isn't easy," he agreed, "but it keeps many residents of these lands employed, and their families clothed and fed."

"I can only imagine," Lady Tomoe said appreciatively, and Neji wondered that the man couldn't see the brittleness in her smile, or feel the razor thin slice of sarcasm in her tone. "I would love to hear more about it – obviously these lands are of a great interest to both the General and myself."

The next hour was one of self-adulation by Takayuki, but was surprisingly informative. Both Sai and Neji took note of every name, location, and detail that could possibly be used to help them identify and locate the mines and camps of workers.

The following days were no less trying for the normally patient Hyūga.

While Takayuki certainly made every effort to accommodate and impress the General, he did everything in his power to do doubly so for Lady Tomoe, and to spend time alone with her. Neji and Sai took turns as her escort, but more often than not it was Neji.

His only consolation was turning all of the information over nightly to the General and Sai, who relayed it all to Shikamaru. Despite being key in the information gathering, by nature of the assignment, Tenten was almost never present at their meetings. Takayuki was very demanding of Tenten's time, so Mifune often had to brief her in private, or via message. In the five days they had been in his home, Neji had not yet seen Tenten alone, or exchanged more than a handful of words per day.

He was beginning to miss their evening cup of tea.

That afternoon, Takayuki had to meet with the village elders to make arrangements for the fast approaching event in the Winter Garden. He was sorely tempted to accept Lady Tomoe's offer to accompany him, but declined.

"I want you to be surprised," he had said warmly. "But I would be forever in your debt if you would help preside over the festivities. With my mother gone, and no sisters, I find I have no one else to turn to."

"I'd be honored," Lady Tomoe had said graciously, and the man left in a wondrously pleased mood.

As soon as Takayuki was out of sight, the General called an immediate and impromptu meeting. In short order, Urakaku, Okisuke, Neji, Tenten, and Sai were gathered in the Mifune's expansive quarters.

"I have pinpointed several rooms that require additional investigation," Sai said, pulling out the diagram he had created of the mansion. "Comparing the outside dimensions of this structure with what I have mapped, I believe there is an additional chamber in Takayuki's private wing, possibly only accessible from his own room. He appears to have limited his meetings since our arrival, but my mice have overheard him speaking with his underlings. I believe his operation is still in full swing."

"He has hinted at some large business ventures," Tenten flicked a glance at the General, who nodded agreement. "He has been more forthcoming with information over the last few days. Maybe if he and I are alone, he will confide in me."

"Perhaps," Mifune stroked his beard, thoughtfully. "There is a location not far from here that Shikamaru wanted a team to investigate. We are technically the closest unit able to do so."

"But how can you get away to do that?" Tenten asked.

"He is very busy with the preparations for the festivities in Winter Gardens," The General reasoned. "I shall tell him I have urgent business that just came up some miles away and ask that I may leave Lady Tomoe under his care, with, of course, several of my guards. That will ensure he keeps his attention directed here, and not toward us. I shall return in ample time for the party. If an opportunity for reconnaissance has not arisen before then, you two," he looked at Neji and Sai, "will scout while we and the rest of the village are in the gardens."

"It is a large property," Tenten traced a finger on the detailed floorplan. "Perhaps I can convince him to lead a long ride on horseback, or to take me to one of the other properties he is always telling me about. That would give the two of you time to poke around," she looked over to Neji and Sai.

"One of us," Neji returned flatly. "I will be chaperoning you."

"The General is leaving his men and only departing temporarily," she countered. "Takayuki will not jeopardize all of the work he has put into impressing Mifune, but I believe he will press that advantage. If he thinks we are alone, he might confide in me, but I don't think he is stupid enough to press his luck too far."

Neji didn't completely agree with this assessment. "We shall have to see when the plans are made," he said stiffly.

Tenten frowned at him, but was prevented from answering by the insistent chiming of the clock.

She sighed, and rubbed her temples. "I'd better go get ready for dinner," she stood. "I want to get some things done before the girl comes to help me."

"Help you?" Sai asked.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Getting into some of these outfits is impossible to do alone."

"Be careful," Sai said sagely. "She is probably a spy for Takayuki."

"Of course she is," Tenten laughed. "But she is still a sweet girl. I am very selective about what information I feed her to bring back to her master." She stood and stretched. "I wonder if I could ask if someone slightly less ancient be put in charge of the laundry, though," she chuckled. "The woman is half deaf and nearly blind. Some of my things _still_ haven't been returned to me."

"Some of those outfits you've been wearing are made of rather expensive fabric," Sai offered. "Takayuki is probably demanding that they be given extra attention."

"Those she is surprisingly good about," she shrugged. "Very good, which is why I am guessing she has a job. Mostly I am missing some everyday things." She shrugged with a good humored smile. "Not the worst thing that has ever happened on a mission," she said shooting a glance at Neji before turning to the General. "See you at dinner?"

"Come down five, no, ten minutes late," Mifune instructed. "That will give me time to 'confide' in Takayuki, and bring up the idea of leaving Lady Tomoe in his care for a couple of days."

Tenten smirked. "So you mean come on time?"

The General, who was also always ten minutes early, forcing Takayuki to be at least 15 minutes early every time they met, smirked.

"Yes."

"Not youthful," a shadow of a smile played on her composed features, "but doable."

With that, she repaired to her quarters.

As soon as the door closed, Sai held up a hand, listening. Once he had allowed enough time to be sure Tenten was gone, he pulled out a scroll and spread it on the table.

"Two things," Sai said, smoothing the scroll, "One. Takayuki has been spending some time in clandestine meetings. There appears to be one in the works for tonight. I'll know more when my ink creature returns at dinner. Two," he ran a finger down the writing and frowned. "I think it is fair to say that Takayuki is spying on Tenten. He has visited her room several times when she was not there. I think he is looking for something."

"Do you think he suspects Tenten of anything?" Neji asked.

"I can't be sure," Sai shook his head. "But perhaps one of us should hide in her quarters to observe? A shadow or ink clone would do nicely, and would be more informative than my ink drawings."

"I can watch via my Byakugan," Neji offered. "I'll send a clone to dinner, and then conceal myself in the room next to Tenten's."

"Make it so," the General nodded curtly. "We can't afford to have the mission jeopardized this close to its conclusion.

And that is how Neji found himself concealed in a small study across the hall from Tenten's room. By his calculations, dinner had just started. Takayuki would probably invite them to rest after their meal in one of the larger more elaborate rooms, like the library with its large fireplace and comfortable furnishings.

At least, Neji assumed they were comfortable.

He had never sat in any of them.

He was too busy alternately scanning the area with his Byakugan, and trying not to groan out loud at Takayuki's antics.

" _Takayuki's servant just informed him he is needed for an 'urgent matter.' He is headed your way, I think,_ " Sai's voice echoed in his ear. " _I suspect this was a pre-planned absence, as I have seen it happen before._ "

Neji had to agree. It wasn't always 'urgent;' but it was always someone that needed Takayuki's attention for some menial matter, allowing him time away. He often cited these absences as preparations for the upcoming party in the Winter Garden, but Neji had his doubts.

He fiddled with his earpiece, and switched to the frequency of the listening devices in Tenten's room. It was more efficient than trying to read lips and observe using the Byakugan.

A moment later, Takayuki rounded the corner, unaccompanied. The man looked up and down the halls, making sure he was alone before silently pulling a key from his pocket to unlock the door to Lady Tomoe's quarters.

Closing the door softly behind him, at first he just stood there, and inhaled deeply. Quick, cunning eyes darted over the neat and orderly room. Tenten was nothing if not efficient; she did not have anything in that room that identified her as a Konoha shinobi. How could she? It had all been sealed away.

Takayuki trailed his fingers over the rich fabrics of the bedspread as he strode toward the closet. Looking around again, he opened the doors open before sliding a variety of kimonos and dresses down the bar. Neji noted that he purposely only handled the top of the hangers, leaving the garments untouched.

He reached farther into the closet, and slowed to consider his findings.

It took Neji a moment to realize what the man was handling, but the realization struck him like a thunderbolt.

It appeared that Tenten had carried over her habit of hanging some of her more delicate and intimate garments toward the back of the closet. Takayuki ran hungry eyes over the simple satin shift, allowing his fingers to ghost down the fabric greedily before moving on to the next one. To Neji's growing horror, the farther back Takayuki explored, the more elaborate and smaller the garments became. He now understood when Tenten had said Ino's selections had been tame by comparison.

Neji saw the servant coming before Takayuki heard her. Clearly though, it had been expected. Takayuki quickly shut himself in the closet as the slightly-less-than-ancient woman entered the room, pushing a cart with a whining and wobbly wheel. She carefully turned down the bedclothes, changed out some flowers, and placed a basket of clean laundry on a stand near the bed, and a single parcel wrapped in brown paper on the bed. With that, she tottered out of the room, the sound of the wonky wheel the only thing echoing in the large hallway.

Takayuki slipped out of the closet and, with a final longing look at the silks and lace, slid everything back into its original position.

Closing the closet door, he moved directly to the parcel on the bed, and unwrapped it. One of Tenten's more simple outfits was there, as was a utilitarian pair of underwear and a bra. He turned to the laundry basket, and with expert efficiency, sifted through the contents without disturbing the crisp folds.

Gingerly, he extracted one modest but satiny pair of underwear followed by another less-modest-more-lacy pair. The bile rose in Neji's throat, and he willed himself to stay still as the man buried his face in the soft fabrics with a low groan. Throwing a look to the door of the room, he stuffed his treasures into his robes and hurried to the dresser. He went directly to a specific drawer, hesitating for a fraction of a second before removing a bra from the back – one that matched the fancier pair of underwear. He held it up for inspection before placing it on the top of the clothes on the bed. With trembling hands, and sweat beaded on his brow, he closed the drawer and took a deep breath.

Once he had swallowed a few times, he crossed to the large wooden desk, and picked up the receiver of the ornate, old-fashioned phone. He punched in the numbers quickly, but his composure returned the moment someone answered on the other end.

"Time to move the herd for the winter," he directed. "Meeting. My apartments. Midnight." As he listened, his hand darted to where his treasures were stashed before he pressed his palm down front of his garments, growing visibly impatient. "I will be largely unavailable for the next several days. Everything must be completed before the first hard snow," he interrupted. "No excuses." With that, he put the receiver down, ending the call. He glanced at the clock on the wall. He closed his eyes and dipped a hand in his robes, far past where Neji knew his stolen treasures waited. A short moment and a frustrated huff of air later, he snatched up the receiver and dialed a short pattern. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat before speaking. "Please make my apologies to the General and Lady Tomoe," he said, picking up the stolen bra, running a thumb over the generous, lacy cup. "Something has… come up. I shall have to rejoin them after dinner. Make sure the library hearth is lit and well-tended. Prepare whatever tea or refreshment they wish." He listened as he stroked the fabric in his hand, his robe beginning to tent noticeably in front. "No, nothing for me, thank you," he said. "I shall take my refreshment in my room before I join them."

Neji's jaw tightened.

Judging where Takayuki's hand was wandering, Neji didn't have to do much guesswork as to what 'refreshment' the other man had in mind.

Takayuki placed one more call.

"Bring the one from last night to my room. No, I won't need her long this time. Have her prepared for later – you know I am always hungry after midnight. And," he eyed the bra lustfully, "I have something for her to wear." He listened for a space. "You did well. She is the most like her yet. I might keep this one through the winter. If all goes to plan," he stroked the lace, "she can be returned to the mines after spring. Who knows?" he said with an eerie smirk "Maybe even sooner, depending on these next two days." He laughed lightly. "Who cares after that? I shall be there directly."

Ending the call, he then carefully placed the lacy bra and matching underwear in the parcel, and rewrapped it, leaving the satiny pair hidden in his robes. "Only a substitute," he whispered. "She is nothing more than something to pass the time until we are together," he said, pressing his hand to the bed. "It won't be long now. I promise you."

Tucking the parcel under his arm, he slipped out of the room, leaving no trace of his presence.

Neji waited a whole minute after the man left, valiantly reigning in his raging heartbeat. When he spoke, it was with a deadly calm that he didn't feel.

"Do you have spies in Takayuki's quarters?" he asked into his earpiece.

" _I do. Several_ ," Sai answered.

"Then, I fully expect you will have an interesting report to give after tonight," Neji said tightly. "There will be a girl there. Have one of your spies follow the her when she leaves. There will be a meeting in Takayuki's apartments at midnight. I think it bears investigation."

" _Understood. Will you be following him right now?"_

"No," Neji said, his voice low and hard. "I have seen enough for now. I will rejoin you shortly."

He disconnected and stealthily returned to his quarters, where his despised suit of armor waited. He scrawled a quick note, donned his armor, and went to join the general.

* * *

The balcony outside of Tenten's room was three floors up, not near any climbable trees, and not really a security concern once it had been sealed.

Still, it wouldn't do to be careless. Neji dropped on to the balcony as a silent shadow, unobserved and undetected by the world below. He pressed into the camouflage of the darkened corners created by the heavy draperies within, avoiding the thin sliver of light bisecting the stone floor.

He made no sound when the sliver widened to wash the far half of the balcony in light, nor when the door opened, and Tenten stepped out into the cool of the thickly clouded night.

He watched as she crossed to the edge and peered over the rail, arms crossed over the thick robe she was wearing. She did not acknowledge him or turn when he slipped into her room. Two or three minutes later, she followed, closing and locking the door, and drawing the heavy drapes behind her.

He watched her while she re-set the seals that had alerted her he was outside, and crouched to check the ones at the bottom of the door.

Satisfied with her work, she stood and turned with a stretch, taking in his appearance. Where he was in dark, utilitarian clothing, she was in soft colors and fabrics. Where she was dressed as a civilian, he was dressed as a spy.

"I got your note," she said, crossing into the room, the cooler air lingering in her wake. She picked up the book he had planted for her in the library and fished out the piece of paper with his hastily penned instructions. "I figured I'd better have the tea ready," she nodded to the teapot behind her with a wry smile. "Come have a cup with me, and tell me what this," she looked back at the note "'most urgent matter' is all about."

"I don't have much time," he warned her, reaching into the pouch at his hip.

"You know I won't keep you," she replied, perhaps a little coolly.

"It isn't that," he said gruffly. "Here," he pressed a scroll into her hands, frowning at how cold they were.

"What is this?" she asked curiously.

"Supplies," he explained curtly. "Don't use anything but what is in that scroll. Your other stock has been… compromised."

Tenten looked up at him incredulously. "Is…Is this my underwear?"

"The bet is done, and the condition fulfilled," he informed her. "There is no need for me to hold on to this any longer."

Tenten eyed him analytically. "Would this have anything to do with my current variable laundry service?" she asked.

"Leave whatever supplies you already have in place," he glanced to the drawers. "Continue to put those in the laundry, and tend to your personal stock as usual."

"Neji," she said, part exasperated, part curious, "what is going on?"

"Come," he motioned. "I will do my part to unseal the scroll."

"Ignoring the part where I asked you a question isn't going to work, Hyūga," she crossed her arms and drummed fingers on the scroll. "Or have these last couple of days been long enough for you to forget how I operate? Or that we are on the same team? Or-"

"Just trust me, Tenten," he interrupted before adding a gruff, "Please."

She pressed her lips together and studied him for what he suspected was a hurried internal count of thirty.

"Alright Neji," she said slowly. "Help me unseal this, and you can be on your way."

She crossed to the large and opulently covered bed, and put the scroll down between them. They moved through the synchronized sequence of hand seals and each placed a palm on the parchment to release the restrictive seal. The tightly wound scroll grew slack under their fingers, and Tenten gave an involuntary sigh of relief.

Neji scooped up the scroll, keeping his larger hand over hers, and bringing her other hand to rest on the cool crispness of the paper.

"Seal this as normal," he pressed warm hands over cold. "Don't let it out of your keeping."

"After the last couple of months?" she asked with a snort. "I might never let it out of my sight again."

She opened the parchment and looked it over with an expert eye before giving a nod of smug satisfaction. "Everything intact," she smiled before sealing it again. "Guess I should be thanking you," she said, tucking the scroll into the deep pocket of her robe.

"I told you I'd take good care of it," he scoffed.

She flicked a glance to the clock, and to the cooling tea.

"You'd better get going," she said distantly. "Don't want to keep Sai waiting."

She started to turn for the balcony, but was halted by a strong and gentle hand on her upper arm.

Neji was shocked to see it was his.

She looked at his hand and then back up to his face in confusion.

"Neji?"

He hesitated for several jumping heartbeats before drawing her close, wrapping unsure arms around her, and cradling her to himself.

She stiffened at first, before tentatively slipping her arms around his waist, and resting her head gently on his shoulder.

"Neji," she said, quietly. "What is it?"

"I am worried about you."

The admission surprised him, but he felt better for it, so he continued.

"Takayuki is planning something big in the next few days, and that includes plans for you. He is not an opponent to be taken lightly, Tenten."

She smiled against his throat.

"Why are you smiling?" he frowned. "I am being serious."

"I know," she said. "And I am listening. It… it is just good to hear my name," she admitted. "I get tired of being 'Lady Tomoe' all of the time."

"This will all be over soon," he promised. "Then we will return to Konoha and our missions, and I doubt anyone will ever confuse you with a 'Lady' ever again."

"You're probably right," she laughed, and he realized how much he had missed the sound.

And her.

"You will be careful tonight, won't you?" she asked against his throat.

"Yes."

"Good."

He felt the flick of her eyelashes against his neck as she closed her eyes with a small, contented sigh.

Neji rested his chin on the top of her head, and allowed himself this small, rare luxury.

There was a subtle shift in the air.

Something between them clicked and fell into place.

He held her closer, and she wrapped her arms more tightly around him.

"Thanks for worrying about me, Neji," her breath was warm against his throat.

It felt like the most natural thing in the world when he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You're welcome, Tenten."

It was an indeterminate number of heartbeats before he felt rather than saw her smile impishly.

"You know this doesn't affect our other bet," she said.

He smiled against her hair.

"I wouldn't expect it to."

He released her gently, leaning back just enough to see her face and tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Neji flicked a glance to the table with the now-cool tea. "Tomorrow evening," he said quietly. "I'll return. We can have our tea then."

"I'd like that," she smiled. "It's not the same without you. Doesn't feel like home."

The chiming clock reminded them that time was slipping by.

Tenten dimmed the lights to make his exit lest noticeable, and released the seals on her side.

It was time to go.

"Seal everything after I leave," Neji warned her. "I strongly suspect things are going to move forward rapidly after tonight, and I don't know where we will be assigned. Be ready…and…if I can't be with you," he brushed a thumb across her cheek, "I trust you to take care of yourself. Promise me you'll-"

She interrupted by pressing a gentle kiss to his lips that he was too shocked to return.

"I'll be careful," she promised with a crooked smile and a gentle hand on his arm. "I promise."

Recovered, he responded by pulling her closer for a far more deliberate kiss.

She smiled against his lips. "Not that I mind your attempt at persuasion, but I already promised to be careful."

"Just making sure we're on the same page," he murmured. Her arms slid around his neck, and he pulled her hips to his, restating his non-verbal argument. He had no inkling that time had passed until the clock chimed the quarter hour.

Tenten, though, snapped to attention. "Sai is waiting," she said quietly, and with clear reticence.

"Tomorrow, then" he reluctantly stepped away from her.

"Tomorrow," she agreed.

Seconds later, he was running lightly across the rooftop, his thoughts unwinding in the cold air.

This evening was the second time she mentioned their time together as feeling like home, and he found he had to agree.

And with that, came two additional realizations.

One, while it felt nothing like his time with his clan it _did_ feel like home.

Two, he had missed it more than he had realized.

If there was a "Three," he wasn't quite ready to name it.

Instead, he ran faster, letting the biting wind slice over him, honing his focus for his mission. His last thought before surrendering his mind to the task at hand was the reassurance that even in a foreign land, it was still possible to return 'home.'

* * *

 


	15. Chapter 15

 

* * *

**Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

The reconnaissance mission of Takayuki's midnight meeting yielded mixed results, and at least two new questions for every question answered.

Sai looked over the scroll made by his spies again.

"I can't get any of my creatures beyond here," he pointed to the map he had made of Takayuki's home. "And while we appear to have successfully hacked into the closed-circuit surveillance system, the footage hasn't been very informative."

He fished in his pocket for a mobile device, and flicked through the screens. "I was able to conceal myself near the entrance to the hallway in question," he handed Neji the phone, "but I couldn't enter undetected."

"What do you make of it all, Shikamaru?" Neji asked, turning to the laptop on the table.

"I've got some of our new tech gurus from Kumo on it," he said, paging through the file Sai and Neji had sent him. "Sai, did you get a picture of any of the people entering that area?"

"All of them," he replied. "But several didn't show on the security footage, and I am not sure why. There does not appear to be anywhere they could go and not be spotted."

Shikamaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he compared the photos taken by Sai to those on the surveillance footage.

"Let me check something," he said, jotting a few quick notes down. "Don't go anywhere."

Shikamaru's screen went dark, and Sai looked at Neji blankly. "Go? Where would we go?"

"Turn of phrase," Neji said dismissively, looking back to his file. "It looks like most of the other forces are in place," he said, consulting the schematics sent by Shikamaru.

"It appears that Mifune leaving when he did was most fortunate," Sai agreed. "I would feel better if we could access this area," he tapped the map with an impatient finger. "If there are any more secrets to be uncovered, it is there."

"And… that is where they took the girl?" Neji asked.

"Yes," Sai's dark eyes were serious. When the meeting concluded, the girl had been brought to Takayuki wearing Tenten's pilfered clothing. Sai instructed Neji to report back to Mifune while he finished the surveillance. It was telling that Neji did not argue.

By morning, the General, Neji, and Sai had hashed out their findings with Shikamaru, and made a plan. The General left that afternoon, and Neji and Sai kept up their private investigations. Several days later, they were almost out of places to look.

Neji shared Sai's conviction that this area held the last piece of the puzzle; but how to get to it?

The screen flicked back on, and Shikamaru folded his hands.

"Good news," he said. "Our man in Kumo figured it out."

"Oh?" Neji asked, and he and Sai both involuntarily leaned closer to the screen.

"They are using a new video technique called chroma key compositing."

"And that is why some people show up on the video feed and not the others?" Neji asked.

Shikamaru nodded. "Here are the people that Sai saw that showed up on the cameras," Shikamaru clicked on something, and three stills of people came up on their screen. "And these are the ones that didn't." Four more pictures populated on the screen.

Neji instantly got a sinking feeling.

"Takayuki's security feeds have been coming up blank because he uses a combination of specialized cameras and software. The underground areas have been painted a certain color, and anyone entering or leaving dressed in that color disappears on the cameras. The software overlays a different image of the hallway, so the secluded area is not visually different on the security feeds than it is in any other part of the home. This protects Takayuki on several levels, and tells me that the person monitoring his home security is not part of his organization. That is why we haven't been able to spot any activity on the surveillance systems we hacked. We just need to do the same and infiltrate."

Shikamaru looked at them both in turn.

"Sai, you are assigned to Tenten and the Winter Gardens tonight. Neji, you will be infiltrating the secured area and reporting back. I trust," Shikamaru quirked a smile, "you have something to wear?"

Neji scowled at the screen.

"You can't be serious."

Shikamaru's expression did not change.

"Send Sai," Neji retorted flatly.

"We need Sai on the outside," Shikamaru sighed again. "Your Byakugan is necessary to watch for anyone coming. A camera won't see you, but a person sure will. Look," his tone changed slightly. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can get back to the gardens and keep an eye on Tenten. Mifune is still finishing the investigation at his site. At this rate, he won't be back for the start of the festival, so Sai needs to be with Tenten, and tracking the movements in the gardens. We are stretched too thin for it to work any other way. The others are ready to move; if this works, we can take down Takayuki's entire operation down tonight."

Neji grimaced.

"Sai and I are sworn to secrecy," Shikamaru said solemnly. "Aren't we, Sai?"

"Yes," he responded promptly. "We shall keep the secret of your humiliation."

"Fine," Neji's voice was brittle. "Not a word. After the mission, we shall never speak of this again."

"Agreed," Sai gave a thumbs up, and Shikamaru just nodded.

"I have to go… prepare," Neji said distastefully.

"Good luck," Shikamaru drawled.

"I'm sure you'll be most youthful!" Sai called after him, encouragingly. Only Neji's desire to hurry and get this over with kept him from throwing a weapon back over his shoulder.

* * *

Sometimes a detour is in order.

This was one of those times.

Neji made his way back to Tenten's room, slipping in through the balcony. Tenten looked up in surprise – not because he bypassed her seals, she had shown him how to do that - but because she wasn't expecting him.

"You're awfully early," she said, putting aside a letter she had been reading before noticing his strained expression. "Is something wrong?"

"I just came by to catch you up," he deflected.

She moved over on the couch, patting the space beside her. "What happened?"

"Mifune's return is delayed," he said as he sat down. "Sai is going to be your guard while I do some more investigating. As soon as I am able, I'll join you in the gardens."

She frowned. "Do you need back-up?" she asked. "After an hour or so I am sure I can feign a headache or something innocuous and join you-"

"No," Neji cut her off. "I'm counting on you keeping Takayuki busy however you can for as long as you can. The less outside interference, the better." His expression softened. "If nothing else, I'll try to come back for tea."

He had joined her the last three nights for tea before retiring to his quarters for the evening. After that night trailing Takayuki, and the General's subsequent departure, he had been uneasy if she was out of his sight for too long.

"I'll be here," she shrugged.

"Be careful tonight," he said, placing a warm, strong hand over her own. "It is you and Sai for now, and if the takedown starts before Mifune arrives, you will both need to keep Takayuki distracted."

"We'll cover for you," she assured him. "Just let us know when you are out."

"Believe me," he said emphatically. "No one wants this part of the mission over more than I do."

Tenten smiled sympathetically. "The armor is almost a thing of the past," she encouraged him. "Just a little longer."

She grossly misjudged what was bothering him, but Neji knew better than to bring up the particulars.

"If it makes you feel any better," she stood and crossed to the closet, "I have to parade around in this monstrosity tonight." She showed him the ornate and multi-layered outfit, complete with fur-lined cape. "There'd better not be a fight," she sighed. "I'd have to cut my way out." She glanced at the clock. "The girl that comes to help me dress will be here soon. Apparently, I have to have my hair do something crazy-elaborate, too," she muttered.

She closed the closet and crossed back to him.

"The things we do for a mission, right?" she laughed. "No wonder they don't tell you about this stuff in the academy."

Something pulsed at Neji's side; it was a message from Shikamaru, outlining their limited timetable. He stood with a smothered sigh. "Shikamaru," he answered her unasked question. "Come. Seal the balcony behind me."

He turned to leave, but felt the plucking at his sleeve.

"Ne, Neji?" she stopped him, her expression concerned. He raised his eyebrows, and waited. "I have an off feeling about tonight," she admitted. "Just… promise me that you will be careful, alright?"

That was when he noticed the small table with the familiar deck of cards.

"Been reading the cards again?"

"Well, yes, but that's not... I just…" she scrunched up her face as she tried to explain. "I just have a gut feeling." She shook her head. "Something isn't right."

As much as he liked to tease her about her cards, Tenten had an uncanny sense of intuition that Neji had learned to trust.

"You've been outside," she said, abruptly changing the subject. "You noticed, too? The snow is coming."

"The sky isn't right for it," Neji shook his head, "but it is in the air. Maybe tomorrow."

"No," Tenten chewed the inside of her cheek. "No, it won't wait. And I don't think it is the gradual onset that Takayuki is expecting. If everyone really can strike tonight, the camps won't be able to send reinforcements against our fighters. But if we wait…" she let the thought hang heavy between them.

Neji considered this. "Have you mentioned your suspicions to the General, or Shikamaru?"

"I asked Sai to send word to the General," she admitted. "I don't want to risk trying to contact anyone else."

"So you want me to tell Shikamaru?" he reasoned.

"Might not be a bad idea," she ventured.

"Lady Tomoe?" It was the girl who helped Tenten get ready. "I am sorry I am early, but I do not wish to risk you being late to the party tonight."

Tenten signaled for Neji to wait, and she crossed to the door, opening it slightly. "Thank you," she said warmly. "I need to finish my letter to Lady Takeko. Would you come back in ten minutes? I'll be ready, then."

"Certainly, Lady Tomoe," the voice carried to Neji. "I shall be right back!"

"You are too kind," Tenten thanked her, and closed and locked the door. She waited, listening for a moment or two, before giving a satisfied nod.

Neji watched as she crossed back to him, noting the way she worried her lip.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's probably nothing," she flushed. "But…like you guessed, I was reading the cards."

"And?"

"…And they keep hinting at a disappearance." She shook her head. "No, that isn't quite it, more like… someone being taken away. I just don't trust the change in the air. Something is coming," she looked up to him, "I just don't know what."

She hesitated before putting a tentative hand on his chest.

"I know it sounds crazy, but-"

"But I trust you," Neji interrupted, covering her hand with his own. He tilted her chin up, scouring her face intently. "And I trust your instincts. I'll inform Shikamaru, and I shall take every precaution tonight. You and Sai do the same."

Tenten gave a relieved smile.

"Agreed."

He had only intended to offer words of reassurance – something to allay her fears.

He had not intended to dip his head to press his lips against hers, and he certainly hadn't expected her to reciprocate so greedily.

His world narrowed to the woman wrapping her arms around his neck. He wound his arms around her tightly, and settled for letting his actions speak to the things in his heart that did not yet have words. He relied on the cypher of deepening kisses, shallowed breaths, and fingers tangling in hair or tracing the planes of the face.

He rested his forehead against hers before tilting up her chin to study her face.

"When the mission is over…" Neji ventured, the words hovering on his tongue.

But Tenten understood.

"We'll talk then," she agreed. "Just make sure you come back, Neji," she added, the note of worry clear in her voice.

He brushed the backs of his fingers along her cheek, fondly.

"I'll always come back for you, Tenten," he promised.

There were more words to stay, but now was not the time. Neji counted on one last, lingering kiss to express what he could not take the time to articulate before slipping away with a new determination, and a host of things he needed to return to say.

* * *

Neji was in position, just outside the entrance to the mysterious corridor that had thus far defied infiltration.

The door swung open and someone in normal garb exited. As the door swung shut, Neji caught a glimpse of the garishly painted walls.

"It had to be green?" he muttered to himself. "Not blue? Not white? Anything other than green?"

Neji would happily have taken up crossdressing and worn Tenten's outfit for tonight if it meant he didn't have to wear the Team Gai uniform.

But, no.

Takayuki's cameras would ignore only green.

He adjusted his disguise, not sure whether to be appreciative of this particular model of the suit or not.

" _It is for the cold,_ " Lee had declared happily. " _See? There is a matching mask; Gai sensei made copies of Kakashi's mask, as well as an all over face mask with mesh over the eyes if you are somewhere and need to be protected from the environment! There are even boot covers! And a hood!_ " Lee went on to extol the virtues of each individual accessory, and Neji had indulged him, comfortable in the knowledge that he would never, ever, EVER need to avail himself of the hideous, yet versatile ensemble.

And yet, here he was, wearing the full product, head to toe in Gai sensei's finest.

Naturally, Neji kept his face uncovered and henged his appearance to hide it from anyone he might encounter before infiltrating.

He had word from Shikamaru that Takayuki and his entourage – which included Lady Tomoe – had gone down to the gardens about fifteen minutes ago. As promised, Neji had relayed Tenten's concerns to Shikamaru, even as the first, fat snowflakes begin to drift from the sky.

Now, just outside the entrance to the monitored hallway, he adjusted Shikamaru in his ear.

" _The person that just left is out of visual range, and no one is near the entrance. You're clear to go._ _I'll monitor the video feed as best I can,_ " Shikamaru offered. " _Your best bet is to rely on your Byakugan, though._ "

Neji hummed his agreement and with a deep breath, released the henge. He had tucked his hair back, and opted to wear the hood up, and pull the fine green mesh over his face. It was easier than using the Kakashi mask, and did not impede his visibility. With a final stabilizing breath, he slipped into the viridian corridor.

According to Shikamaru, there weren't many people that accessed this area, and most had been dispatched to monitor the mines, or to the gardens to watch Takayuki. He moved noiselessly through the maze of hallways, and located the surveillance room, relieved to find it locked but unmanned. In seconds, he had unlocked the door and disappeared inside, choosing to leave the room dark. The only available light came from the bank of screens flicking through a tour of the monitored rooms.

"It appears that this is largely a barracks area," Neji kept his voice low. "A few people are gathered in the small cafeteria; I can't see many people on the screens or with the Byakugan. There are two larger bedrooms; one is empty, one is occupied by the woman from the other night."

Neji didn't need to explain which woman. He had given Shikamaru the details of what he had overheard and observed the other night, letting Sai report on whatever it was he observed after Neji had left. A white hot flash of something primal and angry sliced through him, and his nerve endings echoed with the feel of Tenten against him. Takayuki had vowed that he would replace the girl with Lady Tomoe. Neji was grimly determined to make sure he never had the chance.

" _Does she appear to be in any danger or distress?"_ Shikamaru asked.

"She is asleep," Neji watched for a moment more with his Byakugan. "No obvious injuries or imminent health concerns."

" _Then we will have to come back for her,"_ Shikamaru sighed. " _Attach one of the devices Sai gave you to the main computer terminal; use the smaller dongles on any satellite computers"_

"I think I liked infiltration better before technology," Neji muttered, taking out the handful of devices. The main terminal was easy to spot, and Shikamaru had correctly guessed the kind of machinery Takayuki was likely to be using. Neji placed the larger USB device as instructed, working swiftly as Shikamaru gave guidance as to where to place the objects. The smaller USB components were hardly noticeable, and apparently would allow Shikamaru to 'talk' to the other machines through the main unit.

 _"Alright, I'm in,"_ Shikamaru said, much to Neji's relief. _"There is a room_ _with no cameras_ _inside_." The screens flickered into a different array, outlining a route to a plain looking door deeper in the heart of the maze. _"Do you see it on the monitor?"_

"Yes."

" _Make your way there, and wait for my signal to open the door. I'll try and interfere with the feed long enough to get you in undetected."_

Wordlessly, Neji complied, and navigated the winding route to the office. He stayed near the green door, in the green hallway, and tried to forget that he literally blended right in.

" _Go_ ," Shikamaru's voice buzzed in his ear. " _I have enough of a feed to loop through the security cameras for a while. Keep an eye out for others, though._ "

"Understood," Neji said quietly, and silently entered the room.

Instantly, he knew he had found what they were looking for. There were maps, files, - anything you could think of. With a sigh of relief, he pulled back the face covering and hood. He quickly unrolled a scroll and released Sai's creatures to begin assimilating the data, while he took digital pictures to send to Shikamaru.

" _Nice,_ " the tactician smiled. " _Is there a computer?_ "

Neji sent more pictures. "A main unit and a laptop."

" _Same drill as the surveillance room. Att_ _ach the devices, then inspect as usual._ "

Neji did as he was asked, and went back to searching the desk.

" _Oh, shit,_ " Shikamaru breathed.

Neji froze.

That didn't sound good.

"What?" he asked flatly.

" _You're not going to like this,_ " he said. " _We found the last mine. It is under you._ "

Neji paused. "Under me?"

" _Well technically it is west of you by a kilometer, but, yeah – the whole area that the house and the gardens sit on? Old mines. Looks like this is the original that was extended. Records show only two above ground access points. It is easily large enough to account for the rest of the missing villagers_."

There was the sound of rustling papers, and a sudden squeak of wheels. That meant Shikamaru shoved away from his desk. If he was moving quickly, Neji really had latched on to something.

" _I checked out the weather_ ," Shikamaru said, flicking through the file. " _I'm giving the other teams the go-ahead to close in on the other mines. We have a separate team sabotaging the communication; Takayuki shouldn't know anything about it until tomorrow at the earliest_."

"What about this mine?" Neji asked. "If it is as large as you say, we'll need more than the three of us to shut it down."

" _Reinforcements are coming your way_ ," Shikamaru said, the sound of rapid-fire typing in the background. " _I need a few minutes to finish working on this_."

One of Sai's mice disappeared behind a heavy drape, piquing Neji's curiosity.

"There is a small side room," he pulled back the heavy fabric. "Locked. I'll investigate."

"N _o cameras in there, either,_ " Shikamaru's voice was less clear once he stepped through the door. " _The room specs aren't on file anywhere; expect trouble_."

Neji didn't bother to respond. Instead, of immediately turning on the light, he relied on his Byakugan, and searched the area in the dark. The small anteroom was nothing more than that. Beyond it were a small living quarters, and a large vault. He heard Shikamaru in his ear, but the voice was distorted now.

"I didn't get that," he replied.

The soft sound of a lock tumbling snapped him to attention, and he hid himself in the far corner, prepared to henge to hide his appearance.

There was no need.

He recognized the silhouette.

Neji waited for the door to close before stepping forward.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, icily.

"Two of Mifune's men arrived ahead of him," Sai said patiently. "Tenten thinks you were gone too long. She asked me to follow."

Neji swept his eyes over him critically.

"You aren't in green."

"Good news!" Sai said brightly. "When you gave Shikamaru access to the security computers and the main server, he was better able to bypass the cameras. I did not have to resort to wearing your ridiculous outfit."

Neji glowered at him, squinting as Sai flicked on the light.

"Something about this room interferes with our communication devices," Sai said, looking around. "Shikamaru tried to tell you I was coming. We have five minutes to do whatever it is we need to do in here."

Neji nodded tersely, and they split up to search the area. The anteroom was clear, and the living quarters held no secrets. That left the vault. It turned out that Sai's time in ROOT had been quite useful, and between the two of them, the vault door swung open.

Neji scanned the security boxes. Mostly jewels and precious minerals, as well as some samples from the mines. Three boxes side by side were filled with documents, so that is where he started.

Sai followed, and they began to log the contents rapidly.

"This is what we've been looking for," Sai said, gathering up the documents. "This is what we need to prove Takayuki's illicit activities."

"Copy it," Neji said sharply. "Leave the originals."

"I am copying it," Sai said calmly. "I'm leaving the copies, though. Shikamaru's idea."

Neji went through a couple more compartments, pausing when a familiar face smiled up at him.

Photographs of Tenten, as recent as this morning, were stacked neatly in the drawer, along with a worn, cracking album, and an equally as worn journal. Neji gingerly picked up the photographs, and flicked through them. The earliest one was of Lady Tomoe's first visit on her journey, before Takayuki had reached out to them. He was reaching for the album when Shikamaru's voice crackled in their earpieces.

Neji looked to Sai, who shrugged. They finished quickly and sealed the original documents, photographs, album, and journal into a scroll, leaving everything else just as they had found it. As soon as they stepped back into the main office, Shikamaru's voice was clear again.

" _Mifune is on his way back_ ," he informed them. " _In fifteen minutes, I am going to activate an evacuation alert in the mines below you. That will automatically open the few outside entrances, and cause confusion. The two of you are to help the workers evacuate. Doesn't look like there are many guards, since there is nowhere for people to go._ "

"And do we have somewhere to take all of these people before this supposed storm comes?" Sai asked. "Or a way to transport them?"

" _We will,_ " Shikamaru said emphatically. " _Don't worry about concealing yourselves any more – just get moving._ "

Sai looked over Neji, and wisely held his tongue. Neji quickly henged into his normal outfit, and he and Sai slipped out of the office and into the hall. Neji wasn't really surprised that there wasn't anyone to intercept them, but he also didn't trust their luck to hold. He could feel the change in pressure in his ears as they gradually moved deeper underground. He and Sai stopped just short of the main entrance, ducking into what was probably a prep and changing area for Takayuki's men. Wordlessly, they both pulled the protective mining gear over their clothing, as well as the heavy helmet. Neji grabbed a clipboard for good measure. When in doubt, write on a clipboard with conviction – it always makes you look like you belong somewhere.

"Here," Sai tossed him a clear pair of protective glasses. "They have a slight tint - probably to help them see in the artificial light without glare. Might help hide your eyes."

They took the elevator down, and down, and down some more.

When they finally stopped, and stepped out neither man spoke.

The mine was far larger than they could have ever imagined. Various lighted tunnels were carved into the vast, open shaft – each leading to a new mining area. There was an intricate network of scaffolding and carts on rails, and lights on strings, and teams of workers moving in tandem.

"Shikamaru," Neji breathed. "This is bigger than anything we suspected," he said quietly into his earpiece. "If we cause chaos here, people might not make it out."

" _They have a standard evacuating procedure,_ " Shikamaru said firmly. " _Many of those tunnels you see are unoccupied. We are going to set off sensors indicating rising levels of carbon monoxide – that way they don't try and take down the mine._ "

"Take it down?" Sai asked.

" _I read through their emergency procedures_ ," Shikamaru said grimly. " _If the entire mine is compromised unexpectedly, deemed unstable, or becomes a sudden danger, the people in charge are to evacuate and detonate a series of explosions that will effectively cave in the entire mine – sealing it. Workers and all if necessary_."

Neji tightened his jaw. Moral implications aside, it was an efficient way to solve the problem and silence the workers in one fell swoop.

"We won't let that happen," Sai's tone left no room for argument. "Right, Neji?"

Neji gave a small almost-smile. "Right."

When asked about it later, Neji couldn't detail the next half of an hour or so. The alarms had raised a panic, but Takayuki's men were surprisingly collected and efficient at moving the workers. Neji listened to them as they shuffled into orderly lines to be lead above-ground. Many had vacant looks about them, and repeated similar phrases like a mantra. 'At least it isn't like that winter where we had no food.' 'We're lucky to have weathered that disaster that hit our village.' 'Is it true? Are the wars over now?'

Neji and Sai exchanged glances. There hadn't been any wars in this area in over a decade. Even the Fourth Shinobi war didn't affect this area as much as it did the other nations.

What had these people been told?

They slipped into a small group of foremen waiting to receive orders.

A large, burly man strode over, heavy-browed, thick-necked, and raw-boned.

"Get them to the evacuation zone," he said in a gravelly voice. "We'll have about an hour to clear the gas before their memories start to return. If it takes longer than that, be prepared to subdue them. Give them the drugged rations either way – it will keep them from becoming aggressive."

They all nodded and moved to follow orders.

"You," the man looked at Neji and the clipboard. "The boss send you?"

"I'm new," he said truthfully. "But I'm here to help."

"Better stick with me, then," he grumbled. "The rest of you – get going."

"My colleague might have to return to me," Neji nodded to Sai. "How will he find us?"

"Didn't get these yet, huh?" the man fished a palm radio out of his pocket. "This is my spare," he handed it to Neji. "You," he glared at another worker. "Give him yours. Put him on the supervisor frequency."

The man complied without question, and Sai left with one group while Neji followed the lumbering behemoth back into the mine.

He slid a look over to Neji's clipboard. "Taking notes, rookie?"

"Actually," Neji said coolly, "I'm a seasoned inspector. A specialist of sorts. Takayuki brought me in to look over the organization and make sure there aren't any… problems," Neji put a particular emphasis on the last word, earning a furrowed brow from the other man. "Essentially, I'll be evaluating your performance."

"Can't speak for the other mines," his voice rumbled in the narrowing corridor. "But in this mine we don't have any 'problems.' I run a tight ship."

"Then I'm sure the evacuation will go smoothly and without incident," Neji said in that condescendingly polite tone the all Hyūgas (except Hinata) seemed to have mastered.

"It will," the burly man assured him with an irritated glower – like he couldn't figure out if Neji was being insulting or not.

"I'm watching," Neji said mildly, idly checking something off on his clip board.

The giant barreled his way into a control room and began barking orders, while Neji stood back and watched the evacuation unfold on the bank of monitors. He occasionally raised his eyebrows in the smallest gesture of approval, and scribbled something on his clipboard. Other times, he gave the tiniest of disappointed sighs and wrote with a heavier hand. The people in the room were so concerned with his slightest reaction, that they never stopped to figure out exactly what he was there to inspect.

Shikamaru was still in Neji's ear, occasionally giving him questions to ask, and jargon to use. It was enough to keep everyone off balance, and focused solely on the evacuation.

" _Sai has taken control of the above ground evacuation,"_ Shikamaru informed him. " _You won't be hearing from any of Takayuki's men, and neither will he. In fact, as far as he knows, nothing is wrong. None of the bodyguards have been alerted."_

"Good, good," Neji murmured, and one of the men scrying the monitors looked pleased.

"The evacuation is nearly complete," one of the men reported. "Just the children from shaft 12, and us."

"Are all of the children accounted for?" Neji asked pointedly.

" _Everyone_ is accounted for," the giant snorted. "We don't run a sloppy operation here."

Neji continued to write, discreetly checking the area with his Byakugan. There was a small parade of about thirty children heading above-ground, and several workers with them. The men in the room were the only other people in the mine. As soon as the children reached the top, Neji radioed Sai.

"Is everything satisfactory on your end?" he asked.

"Roger," he called back. "Everyone present and accounted for, excepting the people with you."

"Excellent," Neji said approvingly. "Notify the boss, and prepare to meet me outside." With that he turned to the others in the room, who were looking at him hopefully.

"Not bad, gentlemen," he said airily. "Let's get above ground so I can evaluate the final product.

They trooped out, and Neji let the others go first, pausing at the exit to scribble on his clip board once more. As soon as he heard the dull thud of a large body hitting the ground, he casually stepped out into the light.

Sai looked from the unconscious giant to Neji. "That is my favorite part," he said honestly.

Neji smirked, and looked past Sai to where the General and his troops were assembled.

"General," he nodded. "I see you got reinforcements."

"More than expected," he said, clearly pleased. "Konoha sent help as well, including a medic team. We are evacuating everyone from the area, to a nearby village, where they will be evaluated."

"Ugly came to help," Sai said brightly. "I think the Traitor is even somewhere nearby."

Neji's mouth twitched in amusement.

"General," one of Mifune's guards came forward, followed by another man being held up between another guard and one of the evacuees. "One of the men from the mines was most insistent that he speak with you."

Neji looked beyond the soldier to the man who leaned heavily on the other guard. His hair was long and unkempt, his frame wiry and gaunt. When he lifted his head, sharp, intelligent eyes snapped in the lean, aristocratic face. Neji thought the man looked familiar, but had no idea where he might have seen him before now. Judging from his physical state and the pallor of his skin, he had been in the mines for quite some time. He flicked a glance at the other civilian helping to hold him up. He was pale, but not nearly as thin or disheveled as the man in the middle.

"Forgive me for not greeting you sooner, General," the man's voice was hoarse, but well bred, and calm. "But I was detained."

Mifune raised his eyebrows slightly. "And to whom do I have the honor of speaking?"

The man's smile was wry. "My name is Takayuki, and I am the lord and heir to these lands."

The General visibly started at that, and the man claiming to be Takayuki gave a rusty chuckle. "I speak the truth, General. The man borrowing my name is an impostor. I have been a prisoner in these mines for longer than I care to remember, although I am sure I will be able to tell you more in a day or so, when my system is cleared of the drugs they gave me."

"We will speak more after you have seen our medics," Mifune gave a sharp nod to his guards. "In the meanwhile we shall go have a friendly discussion with our host."

"If it is who I think it is, General," the weary heir warned, "then I must ask you to be cautious. He is an incredibly cunning and dangerous man. If Tatsuo is indeed your opponent, he will stop at nothing to accomplish his goals, whatever they may be."

A shiver sliced down Neji's spine. The only thing he was certain their host wanted was Tenten. He quickly activated his Byakugan and looked back toward the estate.

He did not see her chakra signature.

He pushed his view farther, the pressure building behind his eyes.

"Five kilometers north west," he bit out. "Moving away rapidly on horseback – at least five men with them."

"Where are they going?" Sai asked.

"There is a small mine about eight kilometers from here," Takayuki offered. "It has long since been abandoned as a mine, but my father kept it stocked for the locals to use as a shelter if the weather took a sudden turn. I did the same; I can only assume Tatsuo did as well. They can get supplies there before moving on."

"Where can he go from there?" Neji asked.

"Depends," Takayuki shrugged. "There are underground tunnels, but they aren't all safe. If he can get to the large forest beyond the mines, though, you will have a hard time finding him. Too many places to hide."

"Then we can't waste time," Neji said grimly. "Sai?"

Sai calmly pulled out a scroll, and two large ink birds appeared. "Are you sure you don't want to change first?" Sai asked.

"No time," Neji swung up onto his ride.

"Just asking," Sai shrugged. "Lead the way."

* * *

 

* * *

 


	16. Chapter 16

 

* * *

**Underneath it All  
***You're really lucky, underneath it all...*****

* * *

The skies were rapidly filling with thick, gray clouds, and the snowfall was steadily increasing. Neji pulled the borrowed cloak more tightly around his shoulders. Begrudgingly, he allowed that Gai's latest iteration of poor fashion sense was surprisingly warm. Still, the protection of the cloak Sai lent him was more than welcome, both for its additional warmth, and the visual coverage.

After all, he might have henged his appearance to hide the offensively green garment, but it was still there. He reached under the cloak, checking his weapons pouches.

He had the foresight to bring a small weapons and supply scroll with him, so he was well armed, but he had not thought to bring a change of clothes.

"Foolish," he muttered to himself, even if it had been a logical choice at the time.

He redirected his focus to observing Tenten via his Byakugan.

Sai's voice rang in his earpiece. "Do you still have visual contact?"

"Yes," Neji answered. "Takayuki is riding with at least five other men. He and Tenten are on the same mount."

"Is Tenten alright?" Sai asked.

Neji focused more intently. Tenten's chakra was slow, and she was leaning heavily on the other rider, but neither her hands nor feet were bound. Her body position indicated she was not wholly awake, leading Neji to one conclusion.

"She's been drugged," he said into his earpiece. "Otherwise, she appears unharmed."

"We aren't far now," Sai offered. "I do not think the others will be a problem."

" _I've just gotten word from the General,"_ Shikamaru joined in. " _Takayuki left shortly after the official toast where he formally welcomed the guests. He asked Lady Tomoe to accompany him to the matriarch's garden, and from there, one of his men must have alerted him_."

"How?" Sai asked. "No one should have known what was happening. There wasn't time, and we sabotaged the lines of communication."

" _We aren't sure_ ," Shikamaru admitted. " _It is possible this was pre-planned and unrelated to our own movements; we are still sifting through the data. The only men we haven't rounded up were the private body guards. From what we know about them, they are all seasoned, skilled fighters. At least three missing nin and two unknowns._ "

"At least we have some cover," Sai reasoned looking at the clouds above them. "We will be harder to spot against these kinds of skies."

"They are splitting off," Neji interrupted. "Three of the men are going on their own, heading north. Takayuki, Tenten, and two others are heading toward what must be the abandoned mine."

" _Don't worry about the other three, then,_ " Shikamaru instructed. " _The two of you go after Tenten._ "

As much as Neji hated to lose any target he was tracking, he wasn't going to argue. Sai was quickly painting on a scroll, even as they landed at the entrance to the cave. He sent a wave of ink creatures ahead of them.

"There are probably many places to hide," he reasoned. "This way, we have extra eyes and ears."

Neji gave a brief nod, scanning the tunnels as they moved through the low light. "They are not far. Looks like he is taking Tenten somewhere, and the other two are standing guard."

There was very little communication after that. Sai knew to follow Neji, and Neji knew Sai would have his back. He stopped them before they were in sight of the enemy.

"The two guards are flanking a heavy door to a series of corridors. That's where he took her."

"Then we need a distraction," Sai said quietly, crouching and painting with quick, fluid strokes. "I'll keep these two at bay. You get Tenten and exit the mines."

Two ink tigers roared to life and charged around the corner, one snatching up a guard, the other cornering his counterpart. Neji raced forward, and pushed at the locked door.

"Keys," He snapped to the man cowering in the corner, who shook his head vehemently, involuntarily flicking his gaze to his partner.

All eyes turned to the other man trying to claw his way out of the tiger's mouth.

"Shake," Sai ordered.

The tiger violently whipped its head back and forth until the man in its jaws looked green, and the keys fell from his person.

Neji arched an eyebrow at Sai, who scooped up the keys.

"Picked that up from Kiba," he explained, handing the keys over to Neji.

"Secure them and then follow," Neji instructed, unlocking the door.

"Understood," Sai looked back over the two men who were quickly becoming less than a threat. 'You'd better hurry. If she overcomes the drug, she'll probably kill him, and we could use some more answers."

Neji took off down the hall, navigating the darkness with his Byakugan. He shoved open a heavy door and found himself in what had to have been the mine's infirmary. It had been adapted to allow multiple people to take shelter, and two rows of narrow cots marched down the length of the room. Tenten was laid out on one of the cots, and Neji hurried over to her, checking for traps and Takayuki as he ran.

"Tenten," he dropped to her side, putting a hand to her forehead and then her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked over to him slowly, a smile breaking across her features.

"Neji," she breathed weakly. "You're alright."

"That's more than I can say for you," he quickly checked her pulse, and her eyes, noting the multiple layers of her outfit that were not as in place as they should have been.

She noticed his inspection and was quick to reassure him.

"Turns out that the best feature of this outfit is that it is a pain in the ass," she smiled groggily. "He drugged me – something in the drink for the toast. I'm wearing too many layers to allow for easy or quick access. He was going to scout supplies and an escape route then come back. Don't think he planned on letting the layers be a problem after that."

Something burned in the pit of Neji's gut at that thought, and it must have shown in his expression. She chuckled and clumsily wound her fingers in his.

"Don't worry. I wasn't planning on making it any easier for him," she said with a wicked grin. "You'd be amazed at how much I can hide in this thing."

"Let's get you out of here," he helped her to sit up, putting a strong hand at her back. She swayed with the effort but once she came to sitting, she could steady herself. "Can you walk?"

Tenten shook her head. "Sensation is just starting to return to my legs, so not yet. Soon, though."

He looked over her critically, before pressing a quick, relieved kiss to her forehead. "Sai is with me. We just have to get to him and we can fly back. Hold on to me."

Tenten wound her arms around his neck, and he adjusted her heavy cloak over the multiple layers of fabric, grateful to every single one of them. Scooping her up, he stood, just as Takayuki burst back into the infirmary, eyes blazing with a crazed fire.

"I don't know who you are," he said, holding his sword out menacingly, "but put down Lady Tomoe and leave or face the consequences."

Neji's eyes were hard and cold as he tightened his grip on Tenten.

"No."

"No?" the other man sneered. "Are you in a hurry to die?"

"Takayuki, don't do this," Tenten interrupted. "It's over."

"No, my lady," he shook his head. "It is just beginning. I am sorry that I had to drug your wine. We have a long journey ahead of us, and I couldn't afford to have you struggle before I got you to safety. Do not worry. This... interloper will not detain us any longer."

Neji arched an eyebrow in grim amusement.

"She is right, Takayuki. Your mines have all been shut down. You have nowhere to run; nowhere to hide. Put down your sword and surrender peacefully."

Takayuki's lips twisted into a mocking smirk.

"No."

"Can you stand?" Neji asked Tenten, never breaking eye contact with his opponent.

"I'll manage," she said in a tone that told him she would stand even if it was by sheer force of will alone. He carefully set her down, keeping an arm firmly anchored about her waist and hip.

Takayuki's face flushed scarlet, giving Neji no small sense of satisfaction. He kept Tenten pressed to his side a moment longer. "If there is an opportunity," he murmured against her temple, "get to Sai and get out of here. I'll rejoin you as soon as I'm able."

She didn't respond, but he felt the tension in her back; he knew she was biting back her irritation at being told to leave him.

"Don't act so familiar with the Lady," Takayuki snarled venomously.

Neji couldn't help himself.

"Who said anything about acting?"

Takayuki charged forth with a strangled cry and surprising speed, but Neji snatched up Tenten and leaped out of the way. He gently sat her down on another cot and stepped in front of her.

"Stay safe," he instructed over his shoulder, watching Takayuki regroup from his charge.

He felt the heavy press of cool metal in his hand.

"Where did you get a sword?" he asked, puzzled.

"Don't waste time with stupid questions," she scoffed.

He took her advice to heart and charged Takayuki before he could get any closer to Tenten. Kenjutsu was not Neji's preferred method of combat, but that didn't mean he didn't excel at it. He was more than capable of keeping Takayuki occupied, but his real aim was to disarm him and force him to use taijutsu instead. That would allow him to incapacitate his opponent swiftly and effectively...not to mention, he wouldn't mind landing a solid punch to the man's jaw.

"Why are you here?" Takayuki asked, eyes wild, veins throbbing in his neck and forehead. "Who sent you?"

Neji remained cool, and didn't answer. Instead, he let his opponent grow more agitated, and less in control. Takayuki was fast and strong, and out for blood, but Neji had someone to protect.

"You aren't here for me, are you?!" Takayuki grunted as they locked swords and then pushed away. "You came for _her._ You came to take her away from me!"

Neji dodged a particularly viscous slice, jumping back, but Takayuki had taken the opportunity to launch a dagger toward him.

A resounding clang of metal rang in the air and the dagger deflected less than a foot from him, thrown off course by a fistful of shuriken.

Takayuki looked in disbelief, finally noting where Tenten had propped herself up and pulled weaponry from somewhere to come to his aid.

Neji tossed her a quick nod of thanks before taking the opportunity to charge Takayuki, sending his opponent's sword skittering across the floor and well out of reach.

Wild eyed and feral, Takayuki looked between them.

"Why do you help him, Lady Tomoe?" he spat out. "This is not one of us; this is a shinobi, not a samurai. He is nothing like us – help me to eliminate the enemy!"

Tenten looked to the man sadly. "Surrender, Takayuki," she said calmly, still pale and slow from the effects of the drugged wine. "This isn't a fight you can win, and it will cost you your life."

"He is here to steal our future," Takayuki cried. "Don't you see? We are the new generation – the return of the onna-bugeisha heralds the rise of the samurai once again! Our empire goes beyond borders now – the demand for what we mine has put us in a position of power. The shinobi world will pass in the wake of the war, Lady Tomoe. The new era calls for new warriors and new traditions."

"Built on the backs of kidnapped labor?" Neji asked, his sword still in his hand. "An empire built by prisoners buried in the dark of your mines? That is the future you see for the Land of Iron and its people?"

"N…no!" he sputtered, flushing a deeper red. "We just had to get started. Now there is time – we can provide for the workers and build up our country. No more people going hungry! No more wars brought to the villages by the shinobi – It will be a better life!"

He looked at Tenten desperately.

"Can't you see?" he asked her holding a hand out to her. "We can make it right for our people."

"This isn't about the people, Takayuki," she leaned more heavily on the wall. "This is your own ambition. I can't stand by and let you do this."

Neji, watched him warily, still standing with his sword at the ready. Takayuki swiveled his head between the two of them and backed up slowly. "You are wrong, my lady," he said in a harsh whisper. "You are tired – it is the wine. You just need to rest, and you will understand. You will see I am right."

His eyes glazed over, and he spoke as if to himself. "You are just confused," he continued. "The others – they have lied to you. But history will bear me out – and Takayuki will be honored."

"Takayuki or Tatsuo?" Neji narrowed his eyes.

Takayuki snapped his head around, his body shuddering as if he stepped on an electric wire.

"Where did you hear that name?" he snapped. "Ohhh. I see..I SEE!" he seethed. "The imposter – he is the one that told you, isn't he. He told you how to find me. It all makes sense now," his eyes bugged out of his head. "He told you his lies; made me the criminal. _He_ is the one that is trying to keep her from me. It is all _his_ doing! He wants it all for himself, but it isn't his legacy to have! It is MINE." He clawed at his chest, grasping at the fabric above his heart.

"I am sorry, my Lady," he said, continuing to back away from them. "I will have to return for you another time. Make no mistake," he looked to Neji. "I will return for her. I will return for what is mine."

"Then I have no reason to worry," Neji growled. "Because she was never yours."

"We'll see, shinobi," Takayuki laughed darkly. He slammed a hand against the wall, activating the emergency alarms. Red lights flashed and a siren blared.

"Emergency alert," an automated voice declared. "Evacuate immediately. Sealing the mines in three minutes."

"You can get the Lady to safety or you can try to follow me, shinobi. But I already know what your choice will be," he crowed triumphantly. "I'll return for you, Lady Tomoe," he assured her. "Wait for me."

With that, he ran full tilt back out of the infirmary, and Neji jumped back to Tenten, watching with his Byakugan.

"He's going deeper into the mines," he raised his voice over the blare of the alarms. "We can't follow."

He scooped her up and hurried out of the infirmary, back the way he had come. "Sai is waiting for us," he said, absently wondering if Takayuki had really given them three minutes to escape.

They burst into the cold night air and found Sai waiting for them.

"I was coming back for you," he said idly, "but Shikamaru said you were on your way."

"Shikamaru?" Tenten cocked her head to the side. "He is here?"

Neji had completely forgotten about the man in his ear. "In a manner of speaking," he muttered, glancing to his earpiece.

Tenten grinned, and wriggled in Neji's arms so she could call into his ear, "Eavesdropping, Nara?"

Neji winced at the volume, and gave her an annoyed look, which she ignored.

The buzz of something electronic – a sound still new to them – came from the pouch at Sai's hip. Tenten squirmed her way down while Sai pulled out one of those mobile devices that Neji was still reluctant to carry. Swiping a pattern on the screen, he turned it to face them all. Shikamaru was sitting calmly at a desk, his characteristic unperturbed expression oddly comforting given the situation.

" _Hard to communicate with you once you were in the shelter,"_ he said dryly, " _but we were monitoring you as best we could."_

"We?" Tenten asked.

Temari appeared in the frame, leaning over from her seat next to Shikamaru. " _You didn't think that only one person was monitoring this big of an operation, did you?"_ she teased.

"So everything went ahead with the total take-down?" Tenten asked eagerly. "Did it work?"

" _All mining facilities were shut down,"_ Temari confirmed. " _The information Neji and Sai gathered confirmed that we had pinpointed all locations._ "

"What about this place?" she flicked a glance over her shoulder to the mine entrance. "What did Takayuki do when he set off that alarm?"

Shikamaru gave a lazy sigh. " _Takayuki activated an emergency system that seals the mines off from the infirmary and the main exits; presumably to keep others safe from any explosions or gas leaks. He probably knows the way out of there,"_ he sighed again. " _It's troublesome, but Mifune has men on their way to each of the known exit points. Takayuki isn't in any real danger, assuming he sticks to the safe routes. If you had followed, he could have arranged to trap you down there."_

Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed deep in the earth below them

"What is that?" Tenten asked as the ground began to vibrate beneath them. Neji instinctively stepped in to anchor her to his side, as she was still unsteady on her feet.

" _Looks like someone is trying to cover their tracks,_ " Temari said grimly.

The first sounds of detonation came from deep within the heart of the old mine.

Tenten looked up at Neji, who shook his head solemnly. "Nothing we can do."

Sai glanced up at the sky. "Then we should return to the General. Ugly sent word that Tenten is to report to her immediately, or she will kick my ass." He looked back at them and shrugged. "Her words, not mine."

Neji and Tenten shared a smile, before Neji cleared his throat. "Then we'd better not waste any more time." He nodded to his waiting ink ride. "Tenten will ride with me."

"That is fair," Sai shrugged. "I've got the other two."

Neji glanced over to where the tied and bound men were in a cage of Sai's creation, trying not to look incredibly nervous, and failing miserably.

" _We'll be in touch later,"_ Shikamaru said. " _Report in when you get to Sakura."_ With that, he ended the transmission.

Sai mounted his ink bird, which in turn clutched the cage in its talons and soared off into the sky. If their bug-eyed expressions were any indication, Takayuki's underlings were screaming under their gags.

Neji settled Tenten against himself, and despite her wearing multiple layers and the fur-lined cape, pulled his cloak around them both, before they took to the skies.

"You are always warm," she murmured, leaning into him, resting an arm over the one he had circled about her waist.

He pulled her closer – or as close as their respective layers would allow – and pressed a kiss to her temple.

Tenten sighed contentedly, and her eyes drifted closed as she absently stroked his forearm with her thumb.

Neji was just allowing himself a modicum of relief and relaxation when he felt her stiffen in his arms. She glanced down at his arm, puzzled.

"Neji...what are you wearing?"

He stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she plucked at his sleeve, "This is part of a henge. But it feels like…" her eyes widened, and she turned to better look at him. "You're not…!"

He looked straight ahead, and kept his face impassive. "I have no idea what you are talking about," he said coolly.

Tenten stared in disbelief, before bursting into laughter – a clear, honest, heartwarming sound that was so very much her that he couldn't bring himself to mind it all that terribly much.

Perhaps - just this once - it was worth losing a bet.

* * *

Sai handed over the captured men to the General and his forces.

Takayuki's home had been combed for any other prisoners or guards, but nothing was turned up.

The girl Sai and Neji had seen the other night was gone.

"Maybe she was evacuated with the miners," Sai offered unconvincingly. "She might yet be in the med-tents."

"I don't think so," Neji shook his head. "If she was moved, she was taken – probably by whoever decided to warn Takayuki."

"The maid that attended Tenten was reporting to one of Takayuki's men," Sai rubbed his chin. "But it appears she was doing it just as her job to her master. It does not appear that she had any knowledge of the mines or outside dealings. I even heard her say she thought it was because Takayuki secretly loved Lady Tomoe, and she thought it to be quite romantic."

"She is young," Neji snorted. "She doesn't understand the difference between genuine affection and obsession."

"Where is Tenten?" Sai looked around. "She should be back from the medics by now."

"She went to her room to seal her things," Neji nodded to the stairs leading to the upper levels of the mansion. "Clearly," he looked over to the teams still investigating the area, "we won't be staying here tonight."

"Ah, I heard they were making arrangements back at the previous inn. I hope they can accommodate us all."

"We'll manage for one night," Neji shrugged. "Many of the forces will return to Mifune's fortress, or begin escorting villagers home."

"Takayuki - the one we found in the mines, not the one that tried to kill us last night – has offered to help in any way possible; even to the point of taking on the expense of transporting the villagers, or offering them a place to stay this winter. It works out well, really," Sai continued. "Many of the villages were destroyed; the people have nothing to go back to, and they can't possibly secure the supplies they will need for the winter. . And Takayuki gets to keep his labor force."

"That is convenient," Neji mused.

Tenten rounded the corner in one of her simpler outfits for 'Lady Tomoe,' carrying an unassuming satchel that Neji knew would have her scrolls and anything she didn't want to let out of her sight. One of Mifune's guards would handle the remaining luggage and transport it back to the inn where it would be checked again for tampering or tracking or listening devices.

She gave a weary smile to her friends and adjusted the bag on her arm. "I'm packed. Can we go soon?"

"I'll take you now," Neji bobbed his head. "See you back at the inn, Sai."

They traveled with minimal conversation and four of Mifune's men. Their dinner was quick, largely because Tenten looked like she might fall asleep in it. The innkeeper assigned them the same large, adjoining room they had before, insisting that Lady Tomoe be assigned every consideration – especially in light of her recent ordeal. She had wanted to write to Lady Takeko, so Urakaku kept her company in one of the small sitting rooms while Neji inspected their old room and their luggage. Even if their situation hadn't necessitated it, Neji probably would have insisted that she be watched over. He made sure the fire in her room was well tended before starting his own, and had the tea brought up to his room while readied herself for sleep. They were just sitting for their tea when there was a knock at the door. Neji checked before answering, so he was not surprised to see Sai. The pale painter waited until the door was closed and locked before speaking.

"Several of Takayuki's men are unaccounted for," he said without preamble. "The General wants a decoy in Lady Tomoe's room. That is why I am here."

Tenten frowned. "Then where will I-"

"Fine," Neji cut her off. Both men strode toward Tenten's door, and did a quick sweep of the room. Tenten hadn't unpacked, so Neji moved her bag of scrolls into his own room, leaving 'Lady Tomoe's' luggage in place. After Sai set some traps, they sealed the door between the rooms with an alarm and he returned to where Tenten sat, chin in hand.

"A little overkill, don't you think?" she asked wryly.

"After the events of today?" he asked. "No." And he sat to his tea.

She sipped at her own, and gazed into the fire. Several moments passed in silence as he watched her slip into the hypnotic trance of the flames.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh. Yeah. I'm fine."

"Takayuki," Neji said slowly, putting down his cup. "He… did he…"

"Just messed up my clothing a little," she assured him. "Really – it took me and two other people to get into all of those layers. He had no idea what he was up against," she smiled crookedly.

Neji looked her over appreciatively. "No idea whom, either."

"That is true," she shrugged a shoulder. "Although he had seen enough of what Tomoe could do to not take her lightly."

"Then he would have been flat out terrified of you," Neji's lips quirked in amusement. "And he would have known better than to assume you were unarmed."

"He knew I was armed," Tenten reached over to pour him more tea. "He took my decorative dagger and my fan. He just didn't know anything about the real fan, the sword, the shuriken, the rope, the-"

"Rope?"

"You always need rope," she shrugged topping up her own cup. She looked just beyond him to the window and smiled. Taking her cup, she crossed, and widened the gap between the curtains. "It's really snowing now," she said happily. "Come see."

Neji crossed and stood behind her. The snow was quickly blanketing the village, turning the mountainous landscape into a serene and picturesque view. "So it is," he said mildly. "You would think that you had seen enough snow on this mission."

"True," she wrapped her fingers around her mug, eyes on the thickening snow. "But this time it means we got the main part of the mission done in time. The General thinks that the mines were well stocked for the winter, and those supplies will keep the villagers going until the spring. If we had waited, it could've been a lot messier."

"Also," she continued "the snow is really pretty from here, and I am warm. That makes it much more enjoyable." She took a large gulp of her tea, savoring the heat and the aroma as it slid down her throat and warmed her. "Better go get my scroll," the murmured, pushing away from the window, and returned to the table. She put down the empty cup, and rummaged in her bag.

"What are you looking for?" Neji asked.

"My supplies," she yawned. "Have a futon in here somewhere."

Neji wrapped his fingers around her wrist, and tugged her after him. Surprised, she dumbly followed, leaving behind her supplies. His room was smaller than hers, but it was still a solid three strides before they had crossed to the bed.

"You need your sleep," he said simply. "I'll get the lights."

"Neji, that isn't necessary. I can just-"

He arched an eyebrow and interrupted her, holding out his fists. "Right or left?"

Tenten stared at him a moment, before flushing. "Oh, have it your way," she grumbled. "I am too tired to bicker."

She pulled back the covers on "her" side of the bed, and slid into place. Neji checked all of the seals and locks, turned out the lights, and joined her. He felt the mattress dip as she shifted onto her side just as he felt her eyes on him in the dim light of the fire.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier," she offered, and he turned his head toward her, listening. "But I'm glad that you're not the one who disappeared." She hesitated before reaching out and lightly resting a hand on his arm. "Thank you for coming back," she murmured.

Neji put a hand over hers.

"I promised, didn't I?"

"Guess you did," she smiled gently. "Not that I thought you'd abandon your comrades."

"That isn't the promise I made," he reminded her, leaning up on his elbow. "I promised I'd always come back to you," he gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

His fingertips trailed along her jawline, drawing her toward him - and she followed.

His lips found hers, tenderly – still mindful of all she had been through, and the weariness lingering in her veins. The way her fingers involuntarily curled in the front of his pajamas sent a surge of something lancing through him, and he knew it would be altogether too easy to move ahead. Instead, he drew back to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Rest, now," he murmured thumbing over her lips. "You've had a trying day, and need to sleep."

"But I'm not tired," Tenten pouted while yawning.

"Clearly," Neji returned.

"Okay, fine," she muttered, defeated. She curled into his side, her eyelids heavy with the need for sleep. "But you'd better be here in the morning." She tucked her head into his shoulder, and burrowed into his warmth.

"I'll be here, Tenten," he promised, winding his arms around her as she wriggled into place.

He felt her smile against his throat. "Good," she sighed, and with a contented yawn, was soon very much asleep.

Neji chuckled to himself.

"Told you you were tired," he murmured into her hair. Pressing a simple kiss to the top of her head, he relished the quiet joy of holding her close and knowing she was safe. They still had the journey back to the citadel and the Konoha, a maniac to find, and probably a few bets more to make, but for now he was content.

She was with him - back where she belonged - and his heart was full.

Everything else was just details.

And details would wait until morning.

* * *

 **.~*~.** **~*~** **.~*~.Fin.~*~.** **~*~.** **~*~.**

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait, what?  
> What happened with the two Takayukis?  
> Did Neji and Tenten go back to Konoha to stay, or did they get assigned on more missions?  
> What was Hinata thinking of when she asked Neji about the techniques Tenten was learning?  
> Will Neji ever live down wearing the Team Gai uniform?
> 
> Answers to those questions and more in the upcoming sequel 'Underneath the Underneath.'
> 
> I hope you'll join me for the adventure!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, friends. Keep an eye on my profile and tumblr page for updates and previews. I'll probably post a preview for the sequel next week.
> 
> Cheers!
> 
>  

**Author's Note:**

> I seem to have a thing for Tenten and placing bets. Thanks for coming along for the ride, friends!  
> Cheers,  
> \- Giada
> 
> PS: This story is also on FFN and Tumblr.


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